How To Make Sorrel

Sorrel is a nostalgic Caribbean beverage, famously enjoyed during the Christmas holidays. It is a deep red iced tea made from brewing the calyces of a flower with warm spices and sugar. In Latin America, particularly Mexico, the flower it is made from is referred to as flor de Jamaica, and the drink is called Agua de flor de Jamaica. You might have also heard of it being called roselle, which is its African reference. In the Caribbean, the flower and the drink are called hibiscus or sorrel interchangeably, but the scientific name for the flower is the hibiscus sabdariffa. Did you check out our blog post on how sorrel tastes? After we posted that, so many people reached out to us asking for a recipe so that they can try making their own sorrel at home.

You’ve probably been seeing a lot of sorrel or hibiscus drinks recently, as the drink has been blossoming in popularity across the US. In the Caribbean, we usually enjoy sorrel during December, when fresh sorrel calyces are sold. However, with the availability of dried sorrel flowers any month or day, we can enjoy the sweet tart brew whenever we want. Here's our guide on making the perfect sorrel drink year round, using dried flowers. The taste is just the same! What truly shines is how you spice and sweeten your mixture. Don’t worry, we’ve done all the groundwork and perfected this recipe so you don’t need to experiment with the measurements.

Traditional Trinidadian Sorrel Recipe using (dried sorrel)

Ingredients:

3qt water

2.5 cups of dried sorrel flowers

2 cups sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

20 whole cloves

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large deep pot over medium/high heat

2. Turn off stove and add dried sorrel, cinnamon sticks and cloves to the pot

3. Cover and let steep for 3 hours

4. Remove cover and strain sorrel into another bowl

5. Add sugar and combine until sugar is incorporated

6. Add to pitcher and let cool in the refrigerator for up to an hour

7. Serve over ice in a tall glass

8. Store in the fridge for up to five days

Different ways to have Sorrel

After you’ve mastered your sorrel tea blend, which with this simple recipe you undoubtedly would, you can get creative having sorrel in different ways! Try adding fresh ginger for a Jamaican twist. Have it with white rum or in a mojito for a kick! At Island Pops we make Sorrel Ice Pops and Sorrel Rum Sorbet! Sorrel can be enjoyed both hot and cold, so consider making smoothies or milkshakes with sorrel blended in. How about with a citrus garnish, like an orange slice, for a complex taste? Or having it hot, with a crispy ginger biscuit on the side? The flowers are edible and a great topper for cakes and salads. Get creative and send us your ideas! We would love to see how you used our recipe.

No time to make sorrel yourself?

Although making sorrel is easy peasy, it does take several hours to come together, especially if you want to serve it cold. If you don’t have the time to make sorrel yourself, come buy our shop in Crown Heights Brooklyn, NY, where we brew fresh batches regularly! While you’re there, grab some sorbet and ice pops too! You can pick up a bottle of sorrel drink and enjoy it as is, or experiment with different pairings and mixes.

We can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe, and the non-traditional ways you might have adapted it. Leave us a comment and tell us about your homemade sorrel!

How to make Sorrel