Caribbean Sorrel Drink

4.34 from 39 votes

This tangy spice-infused drink is traditional holiday drink in several parts of the Caribbean. Be sure to adjust the sweetness and intensity of the drink to suit your preferences.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Caribbean

Servings: servings

Calories: 25kcal

Author: Shareba

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 tsp white sugar or more (to taste)

Instructions

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 unused portion in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It is normal to see some sediment in the bottle after a few days.

Notes

Other flavours you can add are:

cloves
allspice
ginger
lime Tips:
For a more "adult" drink, you can add rum to this recipe.
If using fresh sorrel, you will need at least twice the amount compared to using dried sorrel.
To intensify the flavour even more, you can leave the unstrained mixture in the fridge overnight, then strain before serving.
Try lining a sieve with cheesecloth before straining the mixture, this helps to catch tiny particles and impurities in the mixture.

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.).

Nutrition