This hibiscus cocktail recipe blends enticing hibiscus syrup with Cointreau, lemon, lime and tequila. It’s tangy, fruity and wonderfully colourful, making it a beautiful hibiscus margarita cocktail.
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This hibiscus cocktail is a bit of a dazzler, both in terms of looks and taste. It’s an eye-catching shade of pink, easy to dress up impressively and it tastes delightfully exotic.
Just like all good margarita recipes, my hibiscus margarita cocktail includes all of the usual ingredients (tequila, triple sec and lime). But it also contains hibiscus syrup and lemon juice.
The result is a cocktail that effortlessly combines the vibrant, sweet and tangy notes of the hibiscus syrup with tart citrus flavours and a strong, hearty lick of tequila.
Why you’ll fall in love with this exotic hibiscus cocktail
- Appearance – the bright and bold colour of this hibiscus margarita is a knockout. Just add some tasteful garnishes and savour the view.
- Taste – this libation is full of character. There’s tartness, sweetness, cranberry and raspberry flavours plus gentle floral hints. It’s truly enchanting.
- Impressive – this hibiscus cocktail definitely has the wow factor. It’s delightfully different and sounds extremely alluring, so it can’t fail to impress.
- Easy – making the homemade hibiscus syrup needed for this cocktail is very simple. Once it has been made, this cocktail can be ready in less than 5 minutes.
- Adaptable: you can easily transform the recipe to make a hibiscus mocktail.
And if you enjoy this cocktail take a look at my raspberry margarita. It’s another colourful and bold fruity one.
Ingredients notes
Hibiscus syrup: this is easy to make at home using dried hibiscus flowers that are commonly used in herbal tea. It tastes floral and fruity. It is quite punchy and delivers juicy cranberry & raspberry flavours. That’s why it teams up so well with the lemon & lime in this hibiscus margarita.
Citrus juices: as well as traditional lime, I’ve included lemon juice to counterbalance the sweetness that the syrup imparts and to draw out the floral and fruity nature of the syrup.
Tequila: this is an essential ingredient in any margarita. Go with white (silver) tequila and pick the best quality that your budget will allow. I enjoy Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata
Orange liqueur: Triple sec and Curaçao are generic terms for orange liqueurs and there are plenty of options to choose from to suit your budget and tastes. Cointreau is a reliable candidate because it has a particularly smooth flavour.
Avoid blue curaçao as the latter would mess with the charming colour of your hibiscus margarita.
How to make a hibiscus margarita
It’s so easy to make this hibiscus margarita recipe:
- Optional: add a salt rim by rubbing a piece of cut lime around the edge of the glass then dipping the glass in salt flakes.
- Pour the tequila, triple sec, freshly squeezed citrus juice and the hibiscus syrup into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice.
- Secure the lid and shake hard for 30-40 seconds.
- Strain into glasses, garnish and serve immediately.
Expert tips
- Chill your glass for 15 minutes to ensure that your hibiscus margarita is served deliciously ice cold.
- Use plenty of ice to dilute the drink and chill it sufficiently.
- Shake hard to ensure that the syrup mixes well with the other ingredients.
- Double-strain the hibiscus margarita into serving glasses to make sure that shards of ice and citrus flesh do not fall into the glass.
- Use lime juice only – it’s the classic option in a margarita and works well in this version too.
How to garnish your hibiscus cocktail
- Salt rim – the classic presentation for a margarita is a winner too for this hibiscus cocktail. Go for the whole rim or just a half rim.
- Dried lime wheels make a pretty addition along with the salt rim. Find out how to make your own here. They are very easy and inexpensive to make.
- Raspberries – thread a couple onto a cocktail pick and balance on the side of your glass.
- Hibiscus flowers – fresh, dried or flowers preserved in syrup will all work (though drain the syrup well to avoid adding too much extra sweetness to the drink.
Frequently asked questions
White or silver tequila is the better option as they are young with a fresh and punchy flavour that mixes well in the cocktail. Dark or gold tequila has usually been aged in oak, making it less suitable for this drink.
Yes, you can. To do so, reduce the amount of syrup used, but remember that this will also affect the strength of the hibiscus flavour.
Yes, you can, but the sweetness and strength of the hibiscus flavour will likely differ compared to making your cocktail using my recipe for homemade hibiscus syrup. It’s also a very expensive way to make this drink, although the preserved flowers do make a pretty garnish.
Yes. It’s very easy to adapt this cocktail recipe to make a non-alcoholic hibiscus mocktail. Simply swap the tequila for a white non-alcoholic spirit and add a couple of drops of orange extract in place of the Cointreau, then proceed with the recipe.
No, you don’t. You can serve this hibiscus cocktail in any glass that you fancy. It looks just as fabulous in your favourite cocktail glass as it does in classic margarita glassware. You can also serve your hibiscus margarita in a tumbler on the rocks.
Variations
- Hibiscus mezcal cocktail – add a smoky edge to this libation by replacing the tequila with mezcal and using smoked salt to rim the glass.
- Spicy hibiscus margarita – drop a couple of rounds (coins) of jalapēno chill into the bottom of the cocktail shaker and muddle briefly before continuing with the recipe.
- Frozen hibiscus margarita – simply put the ingredients (minus the garnishes) into a high-powered blender with a large handful of ice and blitz until smooth.
What to serve with this hibiscus cocktail
- Tacos: go with zesty and fresh prawn, chicken or veggie-filled tacos.
- Avocado dip or guacamole: add unsalted (or very lightly seasoned) tortilla chips and get stuck in.
- Fresh fruit: try marinating fresh fruit such as melon, strawberries and pineapple in lime juice and fresh mint. Slide onto skewers for easy and mess-free finger food.
- Dessert: zesty desserts such as lemon cake, lemon sorbet or lime cake would all be sound options.
More sour cocktails to try
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📖 Recipe
Hibiscus Cocktail (Hibiscus Margarita)
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker or a robust and largescrewtop jar
Ingredients
- 80 ml White tequila (or silver tequila)
- 20 ml Cointreau
- 30 ml Hibiscus syrup homemade or bought
- 20 ml Lime juice
- 20 ml Lemon juice
Optional Garnishes (try any of the following)
- Salt crystals
- Lime wedges or oven-dried lime slices
- Fresh raspberries
- Fresh hibiscus flowers
- Hibiscus flowers preserved in syrup drain them well
Instructions
- If you intend to salt the rim of your serving glass do this before mixing the cocktaill: pour the salt onto a small plate. Rub the rim of the glass with a wedge of lime and then upturn the glass and dip the very tip of it into the salt.
Hibiscus Margaritas Cocktail
- Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and pour in the tequila, Cointreau, lime and lemon juice and the hibiscus syrup.
- Secure the lid and shake hard for 30-40 seconds.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish as desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- Chill your glass for 15 minutes to ensure that your hibiscus cocktail is served deliciously ice cold.
- Use plenty of ice to dilute the drink and chill it sufficiently.
- Shake hard to ensure that the syrup mixes well with the other ingredients.
- Double-strain the hibiscus margarita into serving glasses to make sure that shards of ice and citrus flesh do not fall into the glass.
- Use lime juice only – it’s the classic option in a margarita and works well in this version too.
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