Hibiscus syrup

This hibiscus syrup adds a beautiful color and tasty flavor to whatever you add it to. With notes of cranberry and pomegranate, it's sweet-tart and aromatic. Perfect for cocktails and other drinks as well as over pancakes and more.

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I've loved the flavor of hibiscus ever since I first had it. I can see some being drawn to the bright pinky-red color, but for me, it was the gently floral, fruity and gently tart flavor. If I tell you elderflower is another favorite, you'll see the pattern.

This simple syrup is infused with hibiscus, taking on that flavor and the beautiful color with it. The resulting syrup is a deep color in larger quantities and a more vibrant pinky-red in smaller amounts. And it's flavor is just as bright.

What is hibiscus?

Hibiscus is a plant with large flowers that has hundreds of variations 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.

Certainly, it has been around for some time and you can now find a range of subspecies, mainly with different colored flowers. 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 it's mainly a decorate plant, a few parts are edible, in particular the flowers. A few 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 a few Caribbean countries, the plant is known as sorrel and a sorrel drink is popular particularly around Christmas, spiced with ginger and cinnamon.

In Mexico, agua de jamaica is a popular cooling drink in warm weather. Jamaica is the Spanish name for hibiscus, since the plant came to Mexico by way of the Caribbean, in particular Jamaica.

Making simple syrups

Simple syrups are really easy to make as it's simple a sweetener, generally sugar, dissolved in water. All you need to do is warm them together so the sugar (or other sweetener such as honey) dissolves. Then let it cool and it's ready to use.

On the whole, you use equal parts by volume of sugar and water, unless you are making a thicker syrup known as a rich syrup. Using a syrup is a common way to add a sweetener into cocktails as it means the sugar is already dissolved so blends in with the other ingredients easily.

A basic simple syrup is kind of a blank canvas to add other flavors to, as well. Some of my favorites include ginger syrup and lemongrass syrup. In most case you extract flavor by adding the extra ingredient(s) as you warm the water and sugar then let it steep. Then, strain to remove the solids.

Choosing hibiscus to make a syrup

Hibiscus comes in a few different forms, each of which has it's pros and cons for this. Whole hibiscus flowers (as you see around the dish in the pictures here) are pretty and easiest to tell their quality. But, as a result, they tend to be more expensive. So personally, I would reserve those for when you want to use the whole flower as a garnish, for example.

The easiest to find tends to be as hibiscus tea, but many teas are actually a blend of hibiscus and something else. So they may be tasty, but you may get a more mixed flavor and less distinctly hibiscus.

What I have used here and recommend is using cut hibiscus flowers. These are simply a chopped version of whole flowers, but allows less perfect looking ones to be in the mix so brings the cost down a little. But they are pure hibiscus so that's what you get flavor and color-wise.

Uses and Storage

You can then use any flavored syrup in a range of ways, from in drinks to as a glaze and more. This hibiscus syrup has the added bonus of that lovely color, so it not only adds some flavor but a pretty pink tinge to whatever you use it in.

Try it in any cocktail that would use a simple syrup to add an some flavor and color. It plays particularly well with gin, tequila, vodka and rum. I love it in my hibiscus mezcal sour, and it's great for a hibiscus margarita for example.

You can use it in non-alcoholic drinks, too, like lemonade or as mentioned above simply with water as agua de jamaica, or as a light soda with sparkling water. Then with food, you can drizzle it over pancakes and waffles, or used as a glaze for quick breads. It would make a great glaze for meats, too, like ham or lamb.

As with other simple syrups, I recommend making a smaller amount, as in the recipe below, unless you know you will be using a larger quantity in the near future.

But you also don't need to use it all at once as you can store the syrup in a bottle or jar in the fridge for at least a week or two, if not longer. If you see any signs of mould, either growing on top or in smell, then discard the syrup immediately. But hopefully that shouldn't be an issue since it's pretty versatile.

This hibiscus syrup has a lovely sweet-tart flavor, with notes of berries as well as being gently floral. It's easy to make and versatile in how you use it, adding both a lovely flavor and pretty color. Well worth enjoying soon.

Try these other homemade syrups and liqueurs:

• Homemade grenadine
• Raspberry liqueur
• Pumpkin spice syrup
• Plus get more ideas for cocktails and more in the drinks archives.

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