Drink ounces below are US fluid ounces; ingredient weights are explicitly labeled.

Tart hibiscus and fresh ginger make a ruby drink mixer. This measured formula uses a sweeter, more concentrated combination than either ingredient would in a separate syrup.

Hibiscus Ginger Syrup

  • 2 US cups water
  • 1 1/2 US cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 US cup food-grade dried hibiscus calyces
  • 1/3 US cup thinly sliced washed fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  1. Combine water, sugar and ginger in a saucepan. Warm while stirring until sugar dissolves, then simmer gently 5 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, add hibiscus, cover and steep 15 minutes. For a stronger version steep 20 minutes, adding 5 minutes to the clock.
  3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids. Stir in lemon juice. Measure strained recovery; about 2 to 2 1/2 cups is a planning estimate and depends on evaporation and absorption, not a guaranteed yield.
  4. Cool promptly in shallow heat-safe portions or an ice-water bath, then refrigerate in a clean closed container within 2 hours. Use within 4 days, or freeze portions for up to 2 months for quality; no canning or room-temperature storage.

Yield: About 2 to 2 1/2 US cups; measure actual recovery. Time: 10 minutes prep plus about 5 minutes warming, 5 minutes simmer, 15 minutes steep and about 30 minutes cooling.

Complete Serving Ideas

For one iced tea stir 1 tablespoon syrup into 8 fluid ounces cold prepared tea. For one soda combine 1 to 2 tablespoons syrup and 6 to 8 fluid ounces sparkling water over ice in a 12-ounce glass. For one lemonade stir 1 tablespoon syrup into 8 fluid ounces prepared cold lemonade; it adds sweetness rather than replacing an unspecified quantity of sugar. A house cocktail combines 1 ounce syrup, 1 ounce lemon juice and 1 1/2 ounces gin, tequila, rum, bourbon or vodka: shake with ice 10 seconds, strain over fresh ice in a 12-ounce glass and add 3 ounces soda. Makes 6 1/2 ounces before melt. For a bitter spritz add 1 teaspoon labeled bottled bitters to that cocktail; ordinary bitters may contain alcohol.

For the tea-lime glass stir 1 tablespoon syrup, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 6 ounces cold black tea over ice; optionally add 2 ounces soda. Makes 7 or 9 ounces before melt, one drink in 2 minutes with cooled tea.

Measured Variations and Storage

Lime: replace only the 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 tablespoon lime juice. Spicy: add one 5 g washed jalapeño slice during the last 5 minutes of the hibiscus steep, strain it out and wash hands after handling. Orange: add two washed 1-by-2-inch strips of orange peel with the ginger; avoid much white pith and strain. Less sweet: use 1 cup sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups; expect less body and different recovery, use the same four-day refrigerated limit. Choose one variation first. All follow the full method and cooling; the 20-minute steep adds 5 minutes.

Refrigerate promptly at 40 F (4 C) or below in a clean closed container and use within 4 days, a conservative house limit rather than a tested shelf life. Freeze small portions at 0 F (-18 C) for up to 2 months for quality, leaving expansion space; high-sugar syrup may remain soft. Thaw in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours. Discard moldy, unexpectedly fizzy or off-smelling syrup. This is not a canning or room-temperature storage method. Keep fresh milk, fruit and finished drinks at 40 F (4 C) or below. Cool heated mixtures promptly in shallow heat-safe containers or an ice-water bath, then refrigerate within 2 hours; use a 1-hour limit above 90 F (32 C). Discard perishables left without temperature control beyond those limits. Follow purchased ingredient labels if shorter. A normal smell does not establish safety.

Food Safety Reference

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