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Loading...Jamaica's iconic ruby-red sorrel drink is brewed from the dried calyxes of the hibiscus plant and steeped with warming spices like ginger, pimento, and cloves. Served ice-cold over the holidays, it strikes a vivid balance of tart, sweet, and warmly spiced flavors that refresh and revive. A splash of dark Jamaican rum is a traditional addition for adults at Christmas gatherings.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings6
Yield6 servings (about 6 cups)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 140 kcalCalories
- 0 gFat
- 0 gSaturated Fat
- 36 gCarbs
- 1 gFiber
- 33 gSugar
- 0 gProtein
- 10 mgSodium
- 120 mgPotassium
- 60 mgCalcium
- 2 mgIron
- 15 mgVitamin C
- 10 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the spiced brew
- 8 cups cold water
- 2 cups dried sorrel (hibiscus sabdariffa calyxes)
- 1 large knob fresh ginger (about 3 inches), peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon whole pimento (allspice) berries, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Wide peel of 1 orange (no white pith)
To sweeten and finish
- 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Angostura bitters (optional)
- Ice cubes and orange slices, for serving
Directions
- Pour the 8 cups of water into a large nonreactive pot, add the sliced ginger, crushed pimento berries, cloves, and cinnamon stick, then bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to extract the warm spice flavor into the water.
- Add the dried sorrel calyxes and the orange peel to the pot, stir once, and immediately remove from the heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes so the hibiscus infuses without losing its bright red color.
- Strain the brew through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large pitcher or bowl, pressing gently on the solids to release all the liquid. Discard the spent spices and sorrel.
- While the liquid is still warm, stir in the sugar until fully dissolved, then add the lime juice and Angostura bitters if using. Taste and adjust sweetness so the drink lands in balance between tart, sweet, and warmly spiced.
- Chill the sorrel drink in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until thoroughly cold. The flavor deepens and mellows noticeably as it rests.
- To serve, fill tall glasses with ice cubes, pour the chilled sorrel over the ice, and garnish each glass with a fresh orange slice.
- For a traditional adult Christmas version, stir 1 to 2 ounces of aged Jamaican rum into each glass just before serving.
Cook’s Notes
- Do not boil the sorrel calyxes — boiling dulls the vivid red color and can turn the drink bitter. Always turn off the heat the moment the dried flowers go in.
- For a deeper crimson color and slightly fuller body, leave the orange peel in the brew while it chills in the refrigerator, then remove before pouring.
- Hibiscus is naturally tart, so add sugar gradually and taste as you go; demerara or light brown sugar gives a richer, molasses-tinged sweetness than white granulated.
- Fresh sorrel calyxes can be used when in season — substitute about 4 cups of trimmed fresh sepals for the 2 cups of dried.
- Sorrel keeps well refrigerated for up to 5 days in a sealed bottle; serve over plenty of ice because it dilutes quickly as the cubes melt.
