Sorrel Drink is a sweet-tart, vibrantly colored, Caribbean beverage made from Hibiscus flowers and various spices. Sorrel is traditionally served at Christmastime, but is an undeniably delicious beverage year round.
My brother's lovely girlfriend fiancée (!) is Jamaican. She and I had talked a while back about me wanting to try my hand at making sorrel. She was thoughtful enough to remember that conversation and bring me back a few bags of dried sorrel after a recent trip to Jamaica to visit family! Of course I enlisted her help when testing this recipe. Luckily, she approved. Thank you, Yanique!
Need more Christmas-y drinks? I got you. Try my White Christmas Margarita if you need a cocktail. My Ginger Pear Holiday Mocktail and Sous Vide Eggnog are great options if you want a non-alcoholic drink.
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🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It's sweet-tart and delicious. Sweet simple syrup tempers the natural tang of sorrel, resulting in a perfectly delicious drink.
It is beautiful. Just look at that color!! It's so rich and vibrant.
It's both festive and tropical. Traditionally served at Christmastime, this drink will transport you to the Caribbean no matter what the weather is like outside.
What is dried sorrel?
Sorrel is the name given to both the outer part of the flower of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, as well as the drink (more on that below) made from those flowers.
Note that we are not talking about sorrel the leafy green herb here. The sorrel that we're talking about is a beautiful blood red-colored flower.
Sorrel often goes by different names, which you may have encountered. In Mexico, the drink is called "flor de Jamaica" (with the "j" making an "h" sound). You may have also heard it referred to as "rosella drink," which is what it's called in South Africa Australia. It's known as "Zobo drink", or "sobolo drink," in Africa, "hibiscus drink" in the Middle East, and "Karkade" in India.
But generally speaking, in the Caribbean, it's referred to as "sorrel" or just "hibiscus". Or maybe "sorrel drink," "sorrel juice," "Jamaican sorrel," or "Hibiscus drink."
The red calyxes that surround the base of the flowers are used to brew sorrel the drink. They can be used fresh or dried. Dried sorrel is fairly easy to come by in Caribbean supermarkets or on Amazon, and is available all year round.
What is a Sorrel Drink?
Sorrel Drink is the drink that's made from steeping sorrel flowers (dried or fresh) with boiling water. It results in a beautiful, vibrant red beverage. It's often steeped with fresh ginger and a variety of spices, too.
The striking color, along with it being made of hibiscus flowers, makes this a very tropical drink. But the ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and star anise flavors are distinctly Christmasy.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Dried sorrel: Though I was lucky enough to be gifted some dried sorrel, you can find some on Amazon.
- Water: Boiling tap water will do just fine.
- Allspice: Whole allspice berries are preferred, but I have also gotten away with using a corresponding amount of dried, ground allspice, too.
- Cinnamon: I used cinnamon sticks.
- Ginger: I have used both fresh ginger root, as well as the ginger paste that you can buy in the produce section.
- Simple syrup: Make your own out of equal parts water and white granulated sugar.
- Rum (optional): Sorrel can be enjoyed sans alcohol, so this is optional. However, if you do choose to add a bit of rum, a white Jamaican rum (Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum, to be specific) is traditional.
🔀 Substitutions or Variations
- Make it a cocktail. It's optional, but you can add some white rum to your sorrel, too. Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum is traditional.
- Serve it hot. Sorrel can be served cold or hot. Serve it hot like a hot toddy, if that's your thing!
- Vary the spices. Don't like allspice? Omit it! Want a little citrusy hit of flavor? Add an orange peel to the mix when steeping.
How to make Sorrel Drink
Step 1. Rinse your dried sorrel with cold water.
Step 2. Combine the rinsed sorrel, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and star anise in a large bowl or pitcher.
Step 3. Boil water and add it to the sorrel, ginger, and spices. Allow the mixture to cool a bit, before storing it in the fridge to steep for 24 hours.
Step 4. Once 24 hours has gone by, strain out the sorrel, ginger, and spices and add simple syrup. Serve immediately and/or store in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Sorrel is the name given to both the outer part of the flower of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, as well as the drink (more on that below) made from those flowers.
You can find dried sorrel in a Caribbean market or online. Try buying sorrel on Amazon.
It doesn't have to, but it can! This recipe is for a non-alcoholic version, but feel free to add some white rum (Wray and Nephew, please) to your sorrel.
Yep! Sorrel drink is made from hibiscus flowers.
Oh yes. Be careful with this one. I wouldn't drink it while wearing white.
Other non-alcoholic drink recipes
I'd love to know what you thought of this recipe! Don't forget to leave a comment and ⭐️ star rating below!
✨ Recipe
Sorrel Drink
Equipment
- Wet measuring cups
- Pitcher
- Strainer
- Dried sorrel
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 3.5 ounces dried sorrel
- 4 ounces fresh ginger smashed
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 allspice berries
- 1 star anise
- 1.5 cups simple syrup
Instructions
- Put 8 cups of water on to boil over medium heat.
- While the water comes to a boil, rinse the dried sorrel in a colander with cold water. Add the sorrel to a large bowl or pitcher.
- Add the smashed ginger (I did this with a meat mallet) and spices to the bowl.
- Once the water boils, pour the water into the container with the sorrel and spices. Allow it to cool a bit before storing it in the fridge for 24 hours.
- Strain all of the sorrel, ginger, and spices out of the liquid.
- Add the simple syrup to the sorrel. Add as much or as little as you like.
- Serve the sorrel in a glass with ice.
Notes
- Some recipes will tell you to allow the sorrel to steep for much less time. However, the longer it steeps, the stronger and more flavorful it will become.
- Add some white rum to your drink, if you'd like.
- You can add more or less simple syrup, depending on your tastes. Sorrel is quite tart, so taste as you go when adding simple syrup.
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Roesh
This recipe was really good! Got to sample a batch and I must say, it hit all the right notes!
Lauren Pacek
Thank you!! This couldn't have happened without you <3