Sorrel Is the Bright-Red Drink Made for Juneteenth and Beyond

Sorrel is a fragrant, flavorful, red-hued drink made from dried hibiscus flowers and flavored with cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, and fresh ginger. This tart and refreshing drink is lightly sweetened for balance and garnished with mint leaves and fresh lemon. 

The name for this drink is derived from its primary ingredient, sorrel, aka hibiscus, a red flowering plant whose blooms have a tart and tangy flavor akin to cranberries or green apples. This drink goes by a few different names, including jamaica in Spanish-speaking cultures. Sorrel has roots in West Africa and is typically enjoyed on holidays and, most notably, during emancipation celebrations such as Juneteenth. 

“West Africans have traditionally welcomed and entertained their guests with red-colored teas made from hibiscus flower petals or kola nuts, both indigenous to that part of Africa,” says writer Adrian Miller. “The cultural resonance of those drinks crossed the Atlantic Ocean with humans in bondage, and red has come to symbolize the blood shed by the enslaved during that horrific journey.” Red-colored beverages like those made with sorrel or hibiscus have become a mainstay on Juneteenth menus. 

This Sorrel recipe first appeared in Toni Tipton-Martin’s 2023 cocktail book, Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: Cocktails From Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks. In the book, Tipton-Martin emphasizes how Sorrel serves as a delicious foundation that can be adapted and personalized to fit one’s preferences or what is in season. She suggests substituting in cardamom or nutmeg for the cinnamon and cloves, increasing the quantity of fresh ginger used for a bit more kick, or even spiking sorrel with rum to make a simple cocktail. 

Why the recipe works 

Tipton-Martin’s sorrel recipe yields a drink with balanced sweet, tart, and spiced notes and an underlying citrusy warmth. Fresh sorrel blooms or dried hibiscus flowers are boiled with spices and fresh aromatics to create an intensely flavored brew. While boiling, the flowers infuse the drink with a vibrant ruby-red color. 

While a range of aromatic ingredients could be used in this recipe, a combination of fragrant orange and lemon zest and punchy fresh ginger create an alluring flavor profile. Cloves and cinnamon add warming spice that plays off the citrus zest and ginger. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is added as the drink cools. Once chilled, a sweetener like cane sugar or honey is added to balance everything out.