Hibiscus lemonade

Hibiscus lemonade is a wonderfully refreshing sweet-tart drink that's perfect to cool you down on a warm day. Easy to make, and easy to adapt to taste, it's well worth enjoying soon.

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Homemade lemonade variations are high on the list of favorites in our house for warm days. They're wonderfully refreshing without being overly sweet or heavy. Plus, you can make different versions depending what you have and how the mood takes you.

Limonana, mint lemonade, is always a big favorite but we also love cherry lemonade and watermelon lemonade. This hibiscus version is another great one that has the added bonus of being great to make on demand. You can make a batch of syrup ahead then all you need is to squeeze some lemons and add water.

What is hibiscus?

Hibiscus is a plant with large flowers that has hundreds of sub-species, mainly with different colored flowers, around the world. The exact origins are debated, with some saying African and others India. Others suggest the modern variants derive from species from Mauritius, Fiji, Hawaii and elsewhere.

It's relatively hardy and can grow in warm temperate, subtropical and tropical climates. It's a member of the mallow family which also includes okra. While hibiscus is mainly a decorative plant, a few parts are edible, in particular the flowers.

Some places make a tea or other drinks with the flowers, particularly some red varieties. You may have come across hibiscus tea as a non-caffeinated hot drink. In Mexico, agua de jamaica is a popular cooling drink in warm weather. In a few Caribbean countries, the plant is known as sorrel and a sorrel drink is popular particularly around Christmas, spiced with ginger and cinnamon.

This hibiscus lemonade is another way to enjoy the lovely color and flavor (though it is less distinct) that's a lovely mix of sweet-tart flavor. It's easy to make and can be made in stages, too, for a quick glass or two when you need it.

Making hibiscus lemonade

This drink is made up of three components:

• Hibiscus simple syrup - this adds the sweetness, hibiscus flavor and pretty pink-purple color. It's simply dried hibiscus warmed with water and sugar, left to steep then strained.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice - don't go for ready-prepared, it's just not the same. The lemon adds that extra tartness and makes it more refreshing, too.
• Water - just syrup and lemon would be too strong so you need some extra water to dilute the mixture. Cold water helps to cool it down, too, plus you can serve over ice.

You can make the hibiscus syrup ahead of time, so then all you do is combine everything and serve. It's worth making extra syrup so that you can use it another time, as well as for other drinks, including cocktails like my hibiscus margarita.

One of the great things about this lemonade compared to some others is that it doesn't settle out at all, so it's great to make a batch ahead for a party, for example. You can also easily adjust the strength and sweetness to your taste by adding more or less water or syrup.

This hibiscus lemonade is easy to make, refreshing and with a great sweet-tart flavor and bright color. It's well suited to making partly, or completely, ahead in small or large amounts. So make some soon and be sure to enjoy.

Try these other refreshing drinks:

• Peach lassi - creamy, fruity and refreshing, it's another easy drink great for summer.
• Coconut watermelon agua fresca - a tasty blend of coconut water and watermelon, it's bright, light and refreshing.
• Spanish horchata - unlike Mexican horchata made with rice, this is made with tiger nuts, but is similarly creamy-feeling (though dairy-free), refreshing and tasty.
• Plus get more drinks recipes in the archives.

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