Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! I feel like the entire internet has been a visual Mexican feast over the course of the past week and I just cannot wait to dig in. Tonight along with our epic supper I will be serving up Hibiscus Key Lime Margarita's, because what would Cinco de Mayo be without a little tequila?
As you all know I have been more than slightly obsessed with edible flowers lately. There have been lots of recipes on B&B about chamomile and rose so far, but hibiscus is my current edible botanical crush. (Do you remember that Chamomile Citrus Paloma? OMG!) In a few weeks I will share all the ways, both sweet and savory, I have been using this gorgeous flower in my kitchen, but today lets just focus on this gorgeous margarita shall we?
The beautiful crimson hue of hibiscus tea is truly something to admire - it has a tart flavor similar to pomegranate or cranberry, but with subtle lemon and berry vibes. I absolutely love a piping hot cup of hibiscus tea with a slice of ginger and honey, it feels so luxurious at the end of a long day! Some evenings though, I just want to kick back with a cocktail in hand like these Hibiscus Key Lime Margaritas!
For this drink I made a hibiscus concentrate and paired it with tequila, St. Germain, ginger beer and key lime. I am sure regular lime will work just fine I just used all of mine in guacamole when I gave this drink a whirl the first time. Ooops! I don't even feel bad that I haven't tried it yet with regular limes - the key lime juice is sooooo good! For a little added flair I garnished these with a salt rim and actual hibiscus flowers that have been packed in a rich berry sweet syrup, but they aren't mandatory.
Thirsty for more margarita action? The lovely Kate of ¡Hola! Jalapeño has been hosting an amazing Margarita Week bloggers party all week long. There are so many sultry sips I don't even know where to get started!
PrintHibiscus Key Lime Margaritas
This recipe makes a big batch of hibiscus tea concentrate, refrigerate any leftovers. You can also mix small amounts with lemonade for a fun mocktail for friends and family that aren't feeling the cocktail vibe!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 drinks 1x
Ingredients
For the hibiscus concentrate
- ½ cup dried hibiscus flowers
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
For the cocktail
- 1 ounce tequila
- 1 ounce St Germain
- 1 ounce key lime juice
- 4 ounces hibiscus tea concentrate
- 2 tablespoons simple syrup
- 1 bottle ginger beer, I use Bundaberg brand
- ice
To garnish
- salt for the rim
- hibiscus flowers
Instructions
Make the concentrate
- Pour the boiling water of the hibiscus flowers in a large dish. Allow to cool to room temperature then strain, pressing on the flowers to remove any liquid. Discard the solids. The concentrate can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Mix a drink
- Rim 2 double old-fashioned glasses with salt and fill with ice, set aside.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add the tequila, St Germain, key lime juice, tea concentrate and simple syrup. Shake vigorously then strain the liquid evenly between the 2 glasses. Fill to the top with ginger beer and garnish with a slice of key lime and a hibiscus flower. Serve immediately.
CannB says
Delicious! I did make couple changes yet kept flavor profile: I substituted 1 ounce Domaine de Canton (ginger liqueur) for the simple syrup and ginger beer. This is my new signature summer cocktail.
Meg says
That sounds amazing!!! I am going to have to give that a try for sure 🙂
Kate says
OMG, Meg! Hibiscus, elderflower, tequila AND ginger beer?!! You are making my every with come true! I am so making this one!!
Meg says
Hooray!!! I hope you love this as much as I do Kate, it is absolutely my new favorite margarita.
Abby @ Heart of a Baker says
I think this would be a perfect way for me to try out edible flowers, so pretty! Happy Cinco De Mayo, enjoy!
Meg says
Yes Abby and happy Cinco de Mayo to you too!!! Give edible flowers a whirl, they are so good - especially in cocktails 😉