With its vibrant ruby-red color and tart, cranberry-like flavor, hibiscus iced—also known as agua de jamaica—tea is one of my favorite warm-weather drinks. It’s naturally caffeine-free, easy to make, and incredibly refreshing on a hot day. All you need are dried hibiscus flowers and water. Look for dried hibiscus flowers (sometimes labeled flor de jamaica) at Latin American, Caribbean, or Middle Eastern markets, natural foods stores, or online. Enjoy the tea over ice as is, sweeten it to taste, or top it off with sparkling water and a squeeze of lime for an extra-refreshing drink.
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Hibiscus Iced Tea
An easy homemade hibiscus iced tea with both cold-brew and hot-steep methods.
Servings 8 (1-cup) servings
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried hibiscus flowers
- 8 cups water
- Simple syrup, granulated sugar, honey, or agave, to taste (optional)
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Cold Brew Method
- Combine the hibiscus flowers and water in a large pitcher or jar. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 18 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly on the flowers to extract as much liquid as possible. Sweeten to taste, if desired. (If the tea is cold, simple syrup works best because it dissolves easily.) Serve over ice. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Hot-Steep Method
- Place the hibiscus flowers in a large heatproof pitcher or bowl. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil and pour it over the hibiscus. Let steep for about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly on the flowers to extract as much liquid as possible. If desired, stir in granulated sugar, honey, or agave while the tea is still hot. (Alternatively, let the tea cool and sweeten to taste with simple syrup.) Stir in the remaining 4 cups of cold water. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over ice. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
Variations
- Hibiscus Spice: Add a cinnamon stick and/or 8 thin slices of fresh ginger before steeping.
- Hibiscus Mint: Add a handful of fresh mint after straining and let infuse for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the mint before serving.
- Hibiscus Citrus: Add strips of orange or lemon zest while the tea steeps (strain with hibiscus flowers). Serve with orange or lemon wheels or wedges.
- Sparkling Hibiscus Tea: Fill a glass halfway with hibiscus tea and top with sparkling water. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime.
Nutritional Data Disclaimer
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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