Sorrel Drink
Sorrel drink is a spiced-up, super refreshing, floral drink that is perfect for parties. It’s a beautiful dark red color and has a captivating tang – some say the flavor is close to cranberries. Whatever your taste buds call this unique flavor, you’ll definitely go back for a refill or two.
Sorrel is enjoyed a lot during the holidays, but honestly, I indulge all year round. Talk about chilling out in the summer heat. If you love lemonade, you’ll fall in love with a fresh hibiscus drink.
Its versatility is endless. I love changing up the spices and adjusting the sweetness to fit the occasion. Add a little rum, and you’ve got it made in the shade.
What Is Sorrel?
Sorrel, also called hibiscus and Florida cranberry, is gorgeous, red, tart, and delicious. It’s actually the calyx, or the fleshy part that wraps the seeds. After the petals fall off and the seed pods develop, you’ll see the fleshy red calyx around the seed pods.
Sorrel drink is popular in West Africa, actually, anywhere it’s hot. In Nigeria, they call it zobo. In Latin America and the Caribbean, it’s simply called jamaica. That’s why you may hear people call it Jamaican sorrel drink.
How to Make Sorrel Drink
- Boil 2 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar in a medium bowl or pot until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool. (Photos 1-2)
- Place the sorrel, ginger, lime, cracked allspice, and cinnamon stick in a large bowl. Gently pour boiled water into the bowl of sorrel. (Photos 3-4)
- Steep for 45 minutes or longer. You can also steep it overnight in the fridge for a more potent flavor. (Photo 5)
- Strain with a fine sieve into a pitcher and discard the solids. (Photos 6-7)
- Serve – Add simple syrup according to desired sweetness. Stir in the rum and orange slices, and pour your drink over ice. (Photo 8)
Tips and Tricks
- You’ll find dried hibiscus in most Latin and African stores, but now they’re available in a lot of big box stores, and definitely on Amazon.
- If you have fresh sorrel, you can replace cranberries in cranberry sauce for a Southern version of a classic holiday side.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can definitely make this drink a day or two ahead. Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve; it’s that simple!
Serve sorrel drink over ice and make it extra pretty with some tropical garnishes. I like to adorn the glass rims with a slice of orange or lime, and sometimes I also add a cinnamon stick to each glass.
More Delicious Drink Recipes
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was first published in August 2015 and has been updated with an additional write-up, photos, and a video.
Sorrel Juice
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
Sorrel Drink
- ¼ cup (60g) chopped ginger
- 2 cups (300g) dried red sorrel calyces
- 8-10 allspice berries, cracked
- 1 lime, chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 cups (2.4l) hot water or more to taste
- 1 orange, sliced (optional)
- rum to taste (optional)
Instructions
Simple Sugar
- Bring 2 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar to a boil in a medium bowl or pot.
- Simmer ingredients until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then set aside and allow the syrup to cool.
Sorrel Drink
- Place the sorrel, ginger, lime, allspice berries, and cinnamon stick in a large, heat-proof bowl.
- Gently pour hot water into the bowl of sorrel.
- Let it steep for 45 minutes or longer. You can also steep it overnight in the fridge for a more potent flavor.
- Strain the ingredients with a fine sieve and discard solids. Pour the drink into a pitcher for serving.
- Add as much simple syrup as desired with rum and orange slices. Serve over ice.
Tips & Notes:
- Substitute the simple syrup with honey or your preferred sweetener.
- You can easily crack allspice berries in a mortar and pestle.
- Feel free to replace the cracked allspice berries with ¾-1 teaspoon ground allspice.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
If I added cloves and bay leaf to this recipe, would that be too much flavour and spice? If it’s okay…how much to add? And is it okay to rinse the dried red sorrel calyces with water before making the juice (to clean) or does that take away from the potency of the dried sorrel?
Hi, Genie. Yes, about 4 cloves and 1 bay leaf would be great. Honestly, I rinse my dried sorrel in a sieve right before making the juice. As long as you don’t let them soak before draining, you’re fine.
Thank you for the information. I think I will add the cloves. I found out that the bay leaf for using in sorrel is a jamaican bay leaf which is different from the bay leaf in north america. So I will leave that out. Another question, can the dried sorrel be put in the freezer for future use? I have more than 2 cups of dried red sorrel calyces in the bag, so after I make this drink, can I freeze the dried sorrel or no? Thanks again for all your work and recipes.
Great! Dried sorrel will last for at least 6 months in a glass jar. But, yes, you can freeze it if you don’t think you’ll use it withing 6 months.
Hi there, I am excited to try this recipe. I have tried your other recipes with good success. I have a few questions –
1. For the dried red sorrel calyces can I use Sundried Sorrel Hibiscus?
2. How do you crack the peppercorns?
3. In the video for this recipe, it says to use pimentos (all spice) but in the recipe on this website it doesn’t include pimentos (all spice). Can I use ground all spice?
4. If I can use ground allspice, what amount?
5. If I can’t use ground all spice and need the whole pimentos, how many of the pimentos?
6. Do the pimentos need to be cracked?
Sorry for the many questions, I want to get this right :). Thank you!
Hi Kay. Thanks so much for your questions.
1. Yes, sun-dried sorrel hibiscus works great.
2 & 3. So sorry, I am fixing the recipe today. Allspice in French is piment de la Jamaïque, and sometimes I confuse it with peppercorns. It is indeed allspice and you just smash it in a mortar and pestle or your knife handle. You can even leave the whole if you want.
4. Yes, you can use about ¾ teaspoon ground allspice. Adjust to your tastes with more or less.
5 & 6. No pimentos, just allspice.
Hope that helps and you love it.
Question, the instructions say 2 cups of sorrel. The container it comes it says 16oz or 1lb. Did you mean 16 oz as in 1lb or 16 oz as in two cups. Can you please clarify. 2 cups seems like a small amount.
Hi Morris!
It is 2 cups of sorrel. However, if you feel that 2 cups seems like a small amount for the recipe, you might want to consider the overall balance of flavors and adjust accordingly. Sometimes, recipes can be flexible, and personal taste can guide your adjustments.
Remember, it’s always easier to add more of an ingredient than to remove it, so you might start with the 2 cups and then adjust to taste if needed.
Thank you for your comment. It’s never my intention to offend anyone. However, sorrel is a traditional drink for more than the Caribbean. Africa, South and Central America, and other countries enjoy this refreshing drink. That said, most people identify this drink as being typically Jamaican. I hope that clarifies my intent in calling it Jamaican.
To make your instructions clearer, you should in instruction No. 3 to heat up the TEN cups of water or Is it the 2 cups in instruction 1? Which is it. When do you use the ten cups of water? If you mention some ingredient. You must tell is when and where it goes.
Hi Henry. I already updated the recipe card with instruction titles. The 2 cups of water in instruction 1 is for the simple sugar, while the 10 cups of water are intended to the sorrel.
You say to add allspice, but it is not listed as an ingredient. Is this a mistake?
I’d use sugarcane juice instead of the sugar syrup.
That sounds great. It’s not available everywhere, but if you have it, use it.
Love this sorrel drink! What would be the shelf life being refrigerated?
Thank you
Hi Debbie! It should last up to 1 week in the fridge. 🙂
Very nice
Great recipe! I usually add some bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon sticks, lots of fresh ginger, and lime skin.. not the actual lime. Today I added red wine and it was perfect!
Great! Your version sounds delicious.
Can I substitute ground allspice for the whole?
Yes you sure can.
Thank you for all the info! Never understood the enjoyment of sorrel drink as a kid growing up in Jamaica. Tasted like cough syrup to me! Now I know it all depends on your choice of spices I have a batch steeping right now (using fresh sorrel given by a Jamaican friend). Can’t wait to taste your recipe (with and without the addition of Rum!)
Is it true that when the drink is left covered with towel in dark cool place for more 3 days or more it starts to ferment?
Not quite sure about the question. Mine has never hung around long enough to ferment.
That said, if it ferments in the proper circumstances, that could be a good thing.
Yes, it will ferment, should be refrigerated.
Thanks for sharing !!