Meaning
A dark, bittersweet tonic drink brewed from a mix of boiled roots, barks, and herbs (such as chaney root, sarsaparilla, strong back, and medina), often fermented or fortified. Sold bottled at shops and markets, roots wine is taken as a health tonic to 'clean the blood', build strength, and — by strong reputation — boost male stamina and vitality.
Examples
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Him drink a bottle a roots wine every day fi strength.
He drinks a bottle of roots tonic every day for strength.
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Di roots wine bitter but it good fi yuh.
The roots tonic is bitter but it's good for you.
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Dem bwile up chaney root inna di roots.
They boiled up chaney root in the roots tonic.
Origin
From 'roots' (medicinal roots/herbs) + 'wine' (the fermented tonic); a Jamaican herbal tradition. See [[strong-back]], [[bizzy]].
How it’s used
A fermented herbal-roots health tonic; reputed blood-cleanser and stamina builder. See [[strong-back]], [[bizzy]].