Karkade (Hibiscus Iced Tea) Mocktail Recipe
A ruby-red hibiscus infusion poured over ice — tart, floral and deeply cooling.
- Category: Mocktail
- Glass: Highball glass
- ABV: 0%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
- Alcohol-free: ✓
Ingredients
- Dried hibiscus flowers (flor de jamaica)2 tsp
- Boiling water200 ml (6.8 oz)
- Sugar2 tsp
- Fresh lemon juice5 ml (0.2 oz)
How to Make It
- Steep the dried hibiscus in the boiling water for about ten minutes, until the liquid runs deep ruby.
- Stir in the sugar while it is still hot, then strain out the flowers.
- Cool the infusion completely — poured hot over ice it will only taste thin.
- Add the lemon juice, pour over a glass packed with ice and stir once.
Garnish
A lemon wheel and a dried hibiscus flower
What it tastes like
It carries a floral top note 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
- Sugar
- Granulated sugar. It dissolves badly in a cold drink, so either muddle it with a few drops of water first or turn it into syrup to begin with.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
The Story
Karkade is brewed from the dried hibiscus calyces long grown in Upper Egypt and neighbouring Sudan; Egyptians drink it iced through the summer and hot in winter, and it is a fixture on Ramadan tables.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Karkade (Hibiscus Iced Tea) mixed?
- It is built in the glass and served in a highball glass.
- Does a Karkade (Hibiscus Iced Tea) contain alcohol?
- No. It is safe to serve to children, to anyone pregnant, and to whoever is driving.
- Is a Karkade (Hibiscus Iced Tea) 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.