This Hibiscus Tea Cocktail is adapted from recipes featured in Cook’s Country magazine and in my cookbook, Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking. The beautiful, vibrant beverage can be traced to different parts of the world. It is called bissap in West Africa, sorrel in the Caribbean, and Aqua de Jamaica in Mexico. In America, hibiscus tea is popular at Juneteenth celebrations. Enjoy it as is, or spiked with your favorite spirit for an adult libation.

Spiked Hibiscus Tea Cocktail

Category

Category name

Serves

Makes 8 to 10 cocktails

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ ounces rum
  • 6 ounces hibiscus tea, recipe follows
  • Sprig of mint, for garnish
  • Lemon slices, for garnish

Method

  1. Fill a tall collins glass with ice, pour over the rum and then enough tea to fill the glass and stir well. Garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon slice and serve immediately.

For the Hibiscus Tea

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cold water
  • 6 strips orange zest
  • 6 strips lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 6 thin slices fresh ginger root
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 clove
  • 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
  • ¼ cup cane syrup or other liquid sweetener

Method

  1. In a large saucepan, combine the water, orange and lemon strips, lemon juice and orange juice, ginger, cinnamon stick, star anise, clove and hibiscus. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer and, using a wooden spoon, press the hibiscus mixture to extract as much flavor as possible. Set aside to cool, about 1 hour.
  2. Pour into a jug and add the sweetener to taste, stirring until it has dissolved.