This tequila cocktail mixes cucumber and hibiscus: a combination that’s complex with a sharp, tangy, edge.
Ingredients
Hibiscus Syrup
- •1 cup palm sugar
- •1 cup dried hibiscus flowers (about 1 ounce, or 1-2 hibiscus tea bags)
- •2 (1.4 -inch-thick) slice fresh ginger
- •1 bird's-eye chili, seeded
Cocktail Mix
- •1.5 cups white tequila
- •1/2 cup hibiscus syrup
- •1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- •long cucumber slices
Preparation
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine 2 cups water and the palm sugar and heat until the sugar dissolves.
Add the hibiscus, ginger, and chile, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the syrup is reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 45 minutes. The color from the flowers will turn the liquid a bright pink hue.
Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools. Let cool completely before using.
Combine all the ingredients in a 1-quart mason jar with a lid. Shake vigorously with ice and strain into rocks glasses over ice. Garnish with cucumber.
Hibiscus Syrup: Chef JJ's Kitchen Tip
This syrup is simple to make and great for adding a pop of flavor and cutting through the richness of fried foods.
