This Hibiscus Margarita is a fun floral twist on the classic cocktail. It's made with all your familiar margarita ingredients and homemade hibiscus syrup that gives the drink a beautiful pink hue!
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Why This Recipe Works
Homemade syrup - Hibiscus syrup is easy to make with just hibiscus tea and cane sugar. It gives the margarita beautiful pink color and you can use leftovers for other cocktails or to flavor your water!
Delicious floral flavor - We all know and love the classic margarita but floral flavors go really well with the sweet, spicy, and smooth taste of tequila. If you like this hibiscus margarita, you should also give this St. Germain Elderflower Margarita a try!
Great for parties - Homemade syrups are great for parties and this hibiscus syrup would go really well with lots of different cocktails. I highly recommend you try it with vodka or gin! A good floral syrup is great for both cocktails and mocktails.
Ingredients
- Tequila - Both Blanco and Reposado tequila work in this margarita. I usually go with Reposado but you can use whichever one you have.
- Cointreau - Any orange liqueur works here. Triple Sec is also a great choice.
- Lime juice - Freshly squeezed is always the best but bottled lime juice also works, ideally not from concentrate.
- Hibiscus syrup - All you need is hibiscus tea (dried hibiscus flowers) and cane sugar. You can also use maple syrup in the same ratio if you prefer.
- Garnish - You can serve the cocktail as it is or garnish it with fresh lime and some dried hibiscus flowers. I also like using dehydrated lime for an extra fancy presentation!
Mocktail Version
The easiest way to turn this drink into a mocktail is to use non-alcoholic tequila. There are lots on the market so it shouldn't be difficult to find one.
If you want to keep it simple, you can just leave out the tequila and Cointreau and top up the drink with sparkling water! I like using unsweetened flavored soda like Hibiscus LaCroix.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, you'll make the hibiscus syrup. You can also use a store-bought one to speed things up but I highly recommend making your own!
- In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Take it off the heat and add dried hibiscus flowers and let the tea steep for 10-15 minutes.
- Take the hibiscus flowers out (if they’re broken up, use a fine mesh strainer). Add cane sugar to the hibiscus tea and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Allow the syrup to cool slightly before transferring to an airtight glass jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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When ready to serve the cocktail, add tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and hibiscus syrup to a cocktail shaker. You can also add hibiscus bitters if you have them but it's not necessary.
Add a handful of ice. Shake the cocktail vigorously for a few seconds until frothy and cold to the touch. Serve the margarita over ice.
Serving
The cocktail is best served right away. If you want to make a bigger batch ahead of time, you can mix all the ingredients without ice and leave the mix in the fridge until ready to serve.
Garnish your cocktail with salt or sugar on the rim and a slice of lime. I like adding a slice of dehydrated lime to make the drink extra fancy! You can also add a dried hibiscus flower or any fresh edible flower.
FAQs
Yes! You can garnish your drink with both fresh and dried hibiscus flowers. They make great tea and give any drink a beautiful deep pink color!
Yes! The easiest way to do that is to leave out the tequila and Cointreau and add a bit more lime juice and hibiscus syrup and top up the drink with sparkling water. I like using flavored unsweetened sodas for mocktails like LaCroix.
To keep the flavor as close to the original as possible, use non-alcoholic tequila and orange liqueur if you're able to find one.
More Margarita Recipes
If margaritas are your favorite cocktail just like they are mine, definitely give the four below a try, especially the passion fruit one! Head over to the cocktails category to see all the latest ones!
📖 Recipe
Hibiscus Margarita
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Hibiscus Margarita is a fun floral twist on the classic cocktail. A homemade hibiscus syrup gives the drink a beautiful pink hue!
Ingredients
Hibiscus Syrup:
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 8-10 dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 cup cane sugar
Hibiscus Margarita:
- Sugar rim: 1 teaspoon agave syrup, 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (or cane sugar)
- Ice
- 1 ½ oz Reposado tequila
- ½ oz Cointreau (or another orange liqueur)
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½-1 oz hibiscus syrup
- 1-2 dashes of hibiscus bitters (optional)
- Garnish: lime slices, dehydrated lime slices, dried hibiscus flower (optional)
Instructions
Hibiscus Syrup
- In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Take off the heat and add dried hibiscus flowers and let the tea steep for 10-15 minutes.
- Take the hibiscus flowers out (if they’re broken up, use a fine mesh strainer.
- Add cane sugar to the hibiscus tea and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Allow the syrup to cool slightly before transferring to an airtight glass jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Hibiscus Margarita
- Prep your glass by brushing agave syrup around the rim and dipping it in sugar. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.
- Into a cocktail shaker add tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, hibiscus syrup, and hibiscus bitters.
- Add a handful of ice and shake vigorously for a few seconds.
- Strain the margarita into your prepared glass and garnish with a slice of lime and dried hibiscus if desired. Enjoy!
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Gloria says
Patio season is here. This is the perfect drink for summer parties. My guests won't want to leave LOL.
Colleen says
What a beautiful, refreshing, and tasty margarita! And I love that hibiscus syrup for flavoring water, too. Thanks for sharing.
Jenny Graves says
You had me at Margarita. The hibiscus tea element is a nice touch. Patron anyone? Delicious!
Kristina says
I love margaritas and this was a wonderful change from the traditional. I also love them frozen….can you turn this into a frozen version?
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Definitely! I recommend making two servings at a time to make things easier to blend. Just add all ingredients with 2 cups of ice into a high-speed blender and blend on high until the ice is crushed.
Isabelle says
I make this margarita in huge batches for barbecues and serve it out of a big dispenser decorated with flowers for garnishing. It looks so pretty and of course is a very loved drink!
Jamie says
This Margarita drink looks absolutely delicious! Everything on this drink is so perfect! The color and presentation make this so enticing and very tempting! Many will gonna love and enjoy it!
Dani says
This Hibiscus Margarita recipe is so good! The combination of hibiscus tea, lime juice, and tequila creates a nice balance of tangy and floral notes. It's a refreshing twist on a classic margarita!
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
What a beautiful drink! The color, the garnish! OMG I need this hibiscus margarita in my life!
Monica says
That hibiscus syrup is just too pretty for words! I would love to serve this for a breezy party for girlfriends on my porch. Delicious, refreshing, and beautiful - the trifecta!