Hibiscus Gin Sour
Gin, lemon, hibiscus syrup and egg white, dry-shaken. The gin sour in crimson — tart, floral and berry-like from the hibiscus, with a pink foam that looks as good as it tastes.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Add the gin, lemon juice, hibiscus syrup and egg white to a shaker.
Dry shake without ice for 10 seconds to build the foam.
Add ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe and float a dried hibiscus flower if you have one.
A thoughtful finish
- Make the syrup: a quarter-cup of dried hibiscus in a cup of hot simple syrup, steeped twenty minutes and strained.
- Hibiscus is tart; taste before adding more lemon.
- Dried hibiscus is sold as 'flor de jamaica' in Latin groceries.
Common mistakes
- Hibiscus tea instead of syrup, which is weak and unsweetened.
- Skipping the dry shake.
- Too much lemon on top of the tart syrup.
A few good questions.
What does a Hibiscus Gin Sour taste like?
Tart, floral and berry-like — like a cranberry gin sour with a pink foam.
What is hibiscus syrup?
Dried hibiscus flowers steeped in simple syrup; tart, red and floral.
Is it sweet?
Less than it looks; hibiscus is acidic.
Can I make it without egg?
Yes; it is then a sharper, clearer drink.
Variations
- Gin Sour — Gin, lemon, sugar and egg white.
- Clover Club — Gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white.
- Aviation — Gin, maraschino, lemon and crème de violette.
- Jamaica Sour — Tequila, hibiscus and lime.
Where it comes from
c. 2010s · United States
Hibiscus — the dried flower that makes Mexico’s agua de jamaica and the Caribbean’s sorrel — became a cocktail ingredient in the 2010s as bars discovered that its tart, cranberry-like flavour and deep red colour did in a sour what grenadine used to: the Hibiscus Gin Sour is the result, a gin sour with hibiscus syrup for the sugar and an egg white for the foam. Hibiscus syrup is dried flowers steeped in hot simple syrup for twenty minutes; it is tart itself, so the lemon can be pulled back a little. The drink is the colour of a Clover Club and drier, and it has become a standard of the floral-sour family alongside the Aviation and the Blue Moon.
Sources
- Difford's Guide, Hibiscus Sour, 2015 (reference)
- Punch, Hibiscus Cocktails, 2017 (reference)
- Liquor.com, Hibiscus Gin Sour, 2021 (reference)
Strength. About 1.47 US standard drinks at an estimated 15.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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