Sorrel Drink

Holiday Recipes

A classic Jamaican holiday favorite, Sorrel is tangy, sweet, and deeply spiced, making it the Caribbean’s answer to festive punch. Made with hibiscus petals, ginger, cloves, and a touch of citrus, it is refreshing, served chilled or warm and brings a taste of tradition to every sip.

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 2-3 hrs | Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried sorrel (hibiscus), rinsed with cold water in a colander or strainer

• 3/4 lb peel-on fresh ginger, washed and grated

• 10 whole cloves

• 10 allspice berries, roughly crushed with the side of a knife

• 2 1/2 cups sugar

  
  

Preparation

1. In a 4- or 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add sorrel, grated ginger, cloves, and crushed allspice, and boil until the sorrel begins to plump and swell, about 8 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and let stand until cooled, then continue to steep in an airtight vessel in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

3. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or through cheesecloth into a large pitcher, pressing on solids to express as much liquid as possible. If needed, strain again until it is clear of any ginger remnants. Discard solids.

4. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil with the sugar. Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar has completely dissolved. Remove simple syrup from heat.

5. Stir simple syrup into the strained sorrel, 1/2 cup at a time, until desired sweetness level is reached.

6. Chill until ready to drink. Serve over ice.