Recipe: Hibiscus Spritzer
Ah, hibiscus. Is there any other flower that conjures visions of summer and beach vacations half as well? And not only its flowy petals, but its cooling, tart flavor that packs a punch of smooth crispness with every swallow?
I’ve had so many requests for my Hibiscus Spritzer recipe lately, I’ve decided to try my hand at putting it here on ze blogs. The original version was quite sweet. However, not everyone wants or needs that much sweetness, so I've also included an unsweetened version for good measure.
Original version
Ingredients
8 oz filtered water
1/2 T dried hibiscus flowers
8 oz ginger ale, chilled
1/4 C raspberries, fresh or thawed frozen
1/4 t lime juice (optional; use if ginger ale does not contain it)
5 mint leaves, fresh
a few grains of sea salt
Directions
Bring the water to a boil. While the water is heating, place the hibiscus in a 1-pt mason jar or other similar heat-proof container.
Pour the boiling water into the jar and finger-tighten the lid. Steep for 10 minutes.
While the hibiscus infusion is steeping, muddle the raspberries, mint leaves, optional lime juice, and sea salt in a small bowl.
After the infusion has steeped for 10 minutes, strain into another mason jar. Add the muddled mixture and cool in refrigerator, ~30 minutes.
Once the mixture has cooled, strain out the raspberries and mint leaves, and combine with chilled ginger ale. Add ice if desired.
Unsweetened version
Ingredients
8 oz filtered water
1/2 T dried hibiscus flowers
1 t dried ginger root
8 oz sparkling mineral water, chilled
1/4 C raspberries, fresh or thawed frozen
1/4 t lime juice
5 mint leaves, fresh
a few grains of sea salt
Directions
Bring the water to a boil. While the water is heating, place the hibiscus and ginger in a 1-pt mason jar or other similar heat-proof container.
Pour the boiling water into the jar and finger-tighten the lid. Steep for 10 minutes.
While the hibiscus and ginger infusion is steeping, muddle the raspberries, mint leaves, lime juice, and sea salt in a small bowl.
After the infusion has steeped for 10 minutes, strain into another mason jar. Add the muddled mixture and cool in refrigerator, ~30 minutes.
Once the mixture has cooled, strain out the raspberries and mint leaves, and combine with chilled sparkling mineral water. Add ice if desired.