Hibiscus, mint, and lime summer cocktail

I really tried to come up with a better name for this, but I'm just not that creative. Fortunately, this drink should really make up for that! It's crisp, sweet, a little tangy, and super refreshing. It can even easily be made without the alcohol, if that's your thing! I was so excited by this one, that I took it out to show off to my garden.

Like my previous cocktail recipe, this recipe is for one drink, but it's easy to scale up for two or more. Check the notes for some info on the hibiscus tea that went into making this.

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Ingredients

• 10 - 12 mint leaves, stems removed. You can add a sprig for garnish if that tickles your fancy

• 1/2 a lime

• 2 tsp simple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener of your choosing. I used mint because that's what I had on hand, but that's not a must)

• 1 oz vodka (or clear spirit of your choice)

• 4 oz chilled hibiscus tea+

• Ice

• 2 oz sparkling water

Instructions

1. Start off by rolling the lime between your hand and a hard surface to get the juices flowing. Your countertop will do just fine here. If you've already cut it, no worries. This just makes juicing a bit easier. Squeeze the lime juice directly into the cup.

2. Smack the mint leaves between your hands to wake up their tasty tasty mint essence and add them to the cup, along with the simple syrup. Muddle to combine the flavors.

3. Add the vodka and hibiscus tea and mix it with a spoon (or the muddler, if you're lazy like me).

4. Add the ice into the mixture, and top with the sparkling water.

5. Take outside to show off to your garden (optional) and enjoy!

6. If this recipe is too tart for your liking, add in more simple syrup. There's also always the option to wait until you've tasted this to add the sugar. You can always add more, but taking it away isn't an option.

Notes

+You can use any kind of hibiscus tea here. Storebought works well, just be sure that you chill it before you add it to the cup, or you'll melt the ice and water it down. You can also buy dried hibiscus flowers at most health food stores, or find them online. I personally collect the dried heads from the hibiscus I grow in my garden (see, it's less weird that I was showing it off now, huh?) and dry them before storage.

To make hibiscus tea from dry petals, simply bring them to a boil in a medium saucepan along with some water and let them simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let them steep until the tea has returned to room temperature. Then, either strain them with a slotted spoon or through a mesh colander. The amount of petals and the amount of water is really up to you. I usually do about 2 cups of petals to about 6 cups of water, because that's what my container can hold. There's also the option to reduce the amount of water in your boil and add some more later on if the flavor is too strong.

I'm personally not big on sweetened tea of any variety, but if that's how you prefer it, then add in some sugar per your taste as you bring everything to a boil. If you sweeten your tea, I recommend waiting to add the simple syrup to this recipe until you've had a chance to taste it, otherwise, it might be a bit decadent.