Sorrel Drink: A Ruby Red Festive Caribbean Punch
Editor’s note: Sorrel is the name for a type of hibiscus found in the Caribbean. If you cannot find roselle, you can use the more common hibiscus rosa-sinensis instead.
Sorrel is a signature holiday drink, found Christmastime in the Caribbean Islands. Made with fragrant spices such as ginger, cinnamon, and cloves that is steeped and sweetened and then spiked usually with rum. Sorrel drink gets its red color and tangy taste from roselle, a type of hibiscus flower, usually planted in early summer and harvested around Christmas. Hibiscus sabdariffa, the roselle plant is a member of the hibiscus family,
Dried Roselle
Roselle is common in the Caribbean and so is the drink, which tends to differ slightly in terms of the spicing from one country to another. In Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad and Tobago food historian and author Ramin Ganeshram emphasizes that sorrel drink is enjoyed much like lemonade in summer due to the tart notes. She shares that ginger in sorrel drink is used predominantly in Jamaica but is omitted in traditional Trinidadian versions.
Roselle flowers in the garden by auimeesri
The two variations of the drink that I base my recipe on are from Antigua and Jamaica and I find that both these variations use ginger. Allspice was included in the Antiguan variation, while cloves are included in the Jamaican variation. The refreshing tangy notes of sorrel drink make it just as great in summer as in winter. In fact, without the rum, the drink tastes almost like a lemonade. I sometimes like to garnish my sorrel with mint giving you the red and green colors symbolic of the season. For me, the smell of fragrant spices and citrus is comforting and peaceful. As the drink simmers, its fragrance permeates my kitchen, bringing back memories of good times.
Sorel liqueur
To complement the spices, I add molasses with the sugar. I feel that this adds another note of complexity to the drink. Just a small handful of hibiscus gives you a nice amount of color and flavor. While the traditional alcohol in the drink is rum, this too can be varied if you so choose. There are versions that combine wine and rum. I have found however to let the rest of the flavors of the drink shine, it’s not necessary. A good shot of rum adds the right level of sweet booziness to ensure that your punch is festive. In my research into the drink I discovered Sorel Liqueur from Jack from Brooklyn. A unique liqueur it offers the essence of sorrel. Jackie Summers the maker of Sorel Liqueur says, “My earliest memories of sorrel is washing down goat roti and jerk chicken on Eastern Parkway during Caribbean Day Parade. As the grandchild of Caribbean immigrants, this was the first beverage I can remember knowing I loved. As an adult I spent years working perfecting a recipe I served for friends at parties and barbecues. Then in 2010 I had a cancer scare and the doctor gave me a terrible prognosis. I survived, but with a new perspective on life that moved me to leave corporate America behind forever to launch my own liquor brand, based on sorrel.”
Summers suggests using his liqueur in sorrel drink or combining it with sparkling wine, yet another festive option.
Sorrel Drink
Caribbean Sorrel Drink
A red and fragrant drink that is a signature drink found around the Caribbean islands, it adds a bright festive note to any table.
Ingredients
3/4 cup dried sorrel or roselle, or use hibiscus flowers
5 cups water
2 to 3 cloves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 or 2 star anise pods
A large stick cinnamon
3/4 cup white rum
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup sugar
1 orange or 2 clementines, sliced
Method of Preparation
1. Place the sorrel flowers. water, cloves, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and star anise in a large saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep overnight or up to 2 days to let the flavors develop.
2. Strain and stir in the molasses and the sugar and mix well.
3. Place in a pitcher. Add the rum and orange slices. Chill thoroughly before serving.