Agua de Jamaica
- 2 cups480 ml dried hibiscus flowers (flor de jamaica), about 2 oz by weight
- 1¼ cups300 ml sugar, plus more to taste
- 6 cups1440 ml water, brought to a boil
- 3 cups720 ml cold water
- Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil, stir in the hibiscus and sugar, and let it come back to a boil while the sugar dissolves.
- Cover, take it off the heat and steep for 1-2 hours.
- Strain into a pitcher, pressing on the flowers, then stir in the cold water. Taste and add sugar or a squeeze of lime if you like.
- Chill and serve over ice.
Garnish: lime wedge (optional)
The syrup
In this recipe
Hibiscus Syrup2 oz60 ml
Hibiscus syrup is a ruby-red syrup made by steeping dried hibiscus flowers, then sweetening the tea 1:1 with sugar.
Per glass: 2 oz hibiscus syrup + 6 oz cold water over ice, with a squeeze of lime. That's about as sweet as Bayless's batch, but the hibiscus is closer to Pati Jinich's diluted concentrate, so lighter and less tart than Bayless's version, because our syrup uses fewer flowers per cup. Add lime, or a splash of plain hibiscus tea, for more tartness.
As printed: 1 1/4 cups sugar dissolved in the hot hibiscus steep, for 2 quarts (Bayless). Pati Jinich: 1 1/2 cups sugar + 2 tbsp lime juice in a concentrate made with 8 cups water and 2 cups flowers, diluted 1:3-4.
Where it comes from
Hibiscus reached Mexico in colonial times; whether it came from Africa or India is debated. Agua de jamaica became one of the everyday aguas frescas served with meals across the country.
Source: Jamaica 'Flower' Cooler (Agua de Jamaica), Mexico: One Plate at a Time, Season 6 by Rick Bayless.
Checked against: Rick Bayless: Jamaica 'Flower' Cooler · NPR (Pati Jinich): Hibiscus Flower Concentrate, Water and Variations · Pati Jinich: Jamaica Water · University of Illinois Extension: Agua de Jamaica · NPR (Pati Jinich): Jamaica Flowers Charm The Kitchen (history)
Gear for this drink
OXO SteeL Angled Measuring Jigger
Zulay Kitchen 2-in-1 Metal Lemon & Lime Squeezer
Best for Fresh citrus for sours and lemonade
Keep going