Name: Hibiscus-Lime Buck
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 12 ounces water; ¾ ounce whole dried hibiscus flowers (about ¾ cup); 3 tablespoons sugar; 2 ounces hibiscus tea concentrate, chilled; 1½ ounces ginger syrup; ½ ounce lime juice, plus lime slice for garnishing; 5 ounces seltzer, chilled

Why This Recipe Works

Beautifully showy hibiscus flowers show off in this citrusy, spicy, tart alcohol-free cocktail that’s perfect for Juneteenth celebrations. When soaked in hot water, dried hibiscus flowers create a very tart liquid with fruit and berry flavors. This deep fuchsia liquid forms the basis of teas and other drinks in many countries across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, and in the United States as well. Hibiscus’s assertive flavor works well with ginger, so for a zero-proof buck, we make a sweetened concentrated tea. We balance the sweet and tart flavors with a bit of lime juice.

Before You Begin

Use whole dried hibiscus flowers, not ones that have been cut and sifted. If you can find only ones that have been cut and sifted, use the weight listed (¾ ounce), not the volume. We prefer to make our own ginger beer here using our homemade Ginger Syrup; however, you can substitute 6 ounces store-bought ginger beer for the syrup and seltzer.

Instructions

for the hibiscus tea concentrate

Combine 12 ounces water and ¾ ounce whole dried hibiscus flowers in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Off heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Whisk in 3 tablespoons sugar until dissolved. Let concentrate cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (You should have about 8 ounces tea concentrate, enough for 4 cocktails. Concentrate can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

for the cocktail

Fill chilled highball glass halfway with ice. Add 2 ounces chilled hibiscus tea concentrate, 1½ ounces ginger syrup, and ½ ounce lime juice and stir, using bar spoon, until combined. Add 5 ounces chilled seltzer and, using spoon, gently lift tea mixture from bottom of glass to top to combine. Top with additional ice and garnish with lime slice. Serve.