Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Cooler) Mocktail Recipe
A deep ruby infusion of dried hibiscus flowers, tart and cranberry-like, served ice cold.
- Category: Mocktail
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 0%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
- Alcohol-free: ✓
Ingredients
- Dried hibiscus flowers (flor de jamaica)4 tsp
- Hot water250 ml (8.5 oz)
- Simple syrup30 ml (1 oz)
- Fresh lime juice10 ml (0.3 oz)
How to Make It
- Steep the dried hibiscus flowers in the hot water for about ten minutes.
- Strain out the flowers and stir in the sugar syrup while the infusion is still warm.
- Add the lime juice and chill the mixture completely.
- Pour over ice in a tall glass and serve.
Garnish
Lime wheel
What it tastes like
Fruit notes come forward and it drinks cool and easy.
The technique
Built in the glass. Ice goes into the serving glass, the ingredients go on top, and you stir once if at all. Anything carbonated goes in LAST and never gets stirred; every turn of the spoon costs you bubbles. Fill the glass to the rim with ice: less ice melts faster, not slower.
Glass and ice
A tall, narrow highball. The narrowness does real work — less surface area means the carbonation lasts longer and the ice melts more slowly.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Simple syrup
- One part sugar to one part water, stirred until it dissolves — no need to boil it. Keeps a month in the fridge. No syrup? Use the same amount of honey, loosened with a little water.
- Fresh lime juice
- Freshly squeezed lime. Bottled lime tastes cooked and flat; one lime gives about 30 ml. If you have none, half lemon and half grapefruit juice comes closest.
The Story
Hibiscus reached the Americas through colonial trade routes; in Mexico the chilled infusion became one of the most common aguas frescas, sold everywhere from market stalls to family tables.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Cooler) mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a highball glass.
- Does a Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Cooler) contain alcohol?
- No. It is safe to serve to children, to anyone pregnant, and to whoever is driving.
- Is a Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Cooler) hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.