Caribbean Sorrel Drink

Sorrel drink is a tangy beverage infused with warm spices often served at Christmastime and New Year's in several parts of the Caribbean.

Learn how to make sorrel drink from scratch!

Two glasses of sorrel with ice on a table with Christmas decorations.

There are some recipes that are so ingrained in our family traditions, we can sometimes take them for granted. This sorrel drink recipe is like that for me.

We don’t make a ton of Caribbean foods at home, simply because a lot of the classic recipes take a long time to make, or require ingredients that are difficult to find here in Canada.

But my mom has always tried to bring elements of Trinidadian cuisine into our holiday celebrations, with recipes like pone, sweet bread, and this sorrel drink recipe.

Growing up, this ruby-coloured beverage would show up around Christmastime and stick around straight through the New Year.

At first, I didn’t take much notice of it - preferring to drink my mom’s sparkling cranberry punch instead.

But eventually, I came to know sorrel drink as the nicer one of two Trinidadian beverages that my parents would have in the house during the holidays.

(The other drink being something called Mauby – a bitter drink made from special tree bark, which I have never liked!!!)

Jump to Section:

🤔 What is Sorrel Drink?
🍊 Ingredients
📖 Recipe Variations
🍷 How to Make Sorrel Drink
🙋🏽‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe
More Holiday Ideas

🤔 What is Sorrel Drink?

Two glasses of sorrel, garnished with orange twists.

If you've never had this chilled Caribbean beverage before, you can think of sorrel drink as a Christmassy lemonade.

We make the drink by steeping the calyxes of the Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) plant (which we call sorrel) and flavouring the mixture with warm spices.

The drink is tangy and is served cold, making it a refreshing alternative to the heavier winter drinks like hot cocoa or hot chocolate.

🍊 Ingredients

dried sorrel (a.k.a. roselle or hibiscus sabdariffa)
water
cinnamon sticks
star anise
fresh orange peel
white sugar

If you saw my spiced apple cider recipe, you know that my family loves to cook with star anise, and that flavour is key to our version of sorrel drink, too.

An illustration of a Hibiscus sabdariffa plant calyx or sepal.

We call this recipe “sorrel”, based on the Roselle hibiscus plant that it’s made from, but there is a leafy green called sorrel, too. The two plants are completely unrelated, so make sure you have the right ingredient before you get started!

📖 Recipe Variations

A plate of sorrel sepals next to a plate of spices and orange peels.

Like so many Caribbean recipes, including my beloved macaroni pie, there are many different variations of this drink.

Ginger, cinnamon, orange peel and cloves are popular flavour additions.
Sometimes allspice and bay leaf are also added.
While you can add rum or other alcohol to this drink, we've always enjoyed it as a non-alcoholic drink at my house.

🍷 How to Make Sorrel Drink

A green Le Creuset pot with sorrel simmering in it on the stove.

Some sorrel recipes require you to steep the mixture for hours, or leave it overnight to develop the flavours.

We prefer to use a lot of spices and bring the mixture to a simmer, so that the mixture can become flavourful in a shorter period of time.

However, if you prefer a really strong brew, you can still leave the mixture in the fridge overnight to really intensify the flavours.

We use fresh sorrel for this recipe when it’s available (which isn’t often), but dried sorrel works equally well.

Since dried sorrel tends to be easier to find, I’ve based my recipe on that. You can find dried sorrel at Caribbean speciality stores or large grocery stores. Otherwise, you can buy sorrel online at Amazon.

An illustration of a Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) plant calyx.

Using Fresh Sorrel

If you want to use fresh sorrel, be sure to at least double the amount that you use. The dried sepals have a much stronger flavour than the fresh (much like dried herbs).

How to Sweeten and Dilute the Drink

Two glasses of cold sorrel containing orange twists on a grey table with christmas ornaments.

You will probably need to add a lot of sugar to balance out the acidity of the sorrel.

We never sweeten the whole pitcher. Instead, we leave the strained sorrel in the fridge and then everyone can adjust their glass with sugar and water to their preference.

I like to dilute mine a little bit, and add a teaspoon or two of sugar to my glass.

The last thing to keep in mind is that steeped sorrel is sometimes used as a natural pigment to dye fabric, meaning that this stuff will stain anything it touches.

Just something to keep in mind before you decide to make this while wearing a nice white sweater!

Have you tried sorrel before? Let me know in the comments!

🙋🏽‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

Is sorrel an alcoholic drink?

It can be. We don't usually add alcohol to our recipe, but you can add white or dark rum to the finished drink. Just adjust the amount to your preference.

Can I use any hibiscus flower to make this drink?

No. Not all hibiscus flowers are safe to consume. Sorrel drink is made by steeping the calyxes of the Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) plant, and should not be substituted with other types of hibiscus plants.

How do you store this drink?

It's best to store this drink in a glass bottle, as it is likely to stain plastic. A clean empty wine bottle with a screw-top lid is perfect (in case you'd rather not buy a glass bottle).

Recipe

Two glasses of sorrel with ice and an orange twist garnish on a table with ornaments

Created By: Shareba Abdul

Caribbean Sorrel Drink

4.48 from 61 votes

Sorrel drink is a tangy beverage infused with warm spices often served at Christmastime and New Year's in several parts of the Caribbean. Feel free to adjust the sweetness and dilution of the drink to suit your preferences.

Print Recipe Save

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 25

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups dried sorrel, (roselle/hibiscus sabdariffa)
▢ 10 cups water
▢ 3 cinnamon sticks
▢ 4 star anise, whole
▢ 2 pieces orange peel, fresh (2-3 inches)
▢ 2 teaspoon white sugar, or more (to taste)

Method

Combine all ingredients, except the sugar, in a large pot.
Gently simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours to infuse.
Strain the mixture into a glass pitcher. Set in fridge to chill.
When ready to serve, sweeten and/or dilute the mixture to your preference. Serve over ice.
Store in a glass bottle in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It is normal to see some sediment in the bottle after a few days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 25 kcalCarbohydrates: 5 gProtein: 1 gFat: 1 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 13 mgPotassium: 15 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 145 IUVitamin C: 9 mgCalcium: 21 mgIron: 4 mg

Notes

If you prefer a really strong brew, you can still leave the mixture in the fridge overnight to really intensify the flavours.

Try lining a sieve with cheesecloth before straining the mixture, this helps to catch tiny particles and impurities in the mixture.

If you want to use fresh sorrel, be sure to at least double the amount that you use. The dried version has a much stronger flavour (much like dried herbs).

Variations: you can experiment with different spices to discover what you like most. Other spices you add try adding are: cloves, allspice, ginger. You can also try adding lime juice.

For an "adult" drink, you can add rum to this recipe.

If you don't want to go through the steeping process yourself, look for Sorrel syrup in West Indian or Asian markets.

Caution: the sorrel mixture is highly pigmented and will stain anything it falls on (clothes, dish towels, plastic etc.).

Tried this recipe?

Let me know how it was!

Caribbean Sorrel Drink

🤔 What is Sorrel Drink?

🍊 Ingredients

📖 Recipe Variations