Happy May! I can’t believe I am even typing that. Does anyone feel like they’re still stuck in the month of March? Did April even happen? The only thing helping me mark time right now is the weather outside getting warmer and Friday nights because every Friday night, my husband and I have been having Happy Hours. And that’s where this Orange Hibiscus Margarita comes in. It’s tart from the hibiscus, sweet from the freshly squeezed orange juice and slightly salty from the tequila. Guys…this one’s GOOD. It’s the most refreshing cocktail that would be so perfect this summer.
hibiscus flowers tea
For this recipe, I brewed my hibiscus flowers tea from loose leaf tea. A little goes a long way so you really don’t need much. The taste of hibiscus tea sort of reminds me of the Passion Tea they used to have at Starbucks. Flowery, tart, and sweet. I’m not a doctor or a dietician, but I do know that hibiscus tea is supposed to be really good for you. It’s packed with anti-oxidants, high in Vitamin C and many other things!
Now, I know drinking hibiscus tea in the form of a cocktail probably subtracts some of those benefits, but as a tea alone it’s pretty awesome and not a bad thing to have in your pantry! Plus, it’s a really beautiful color.
Making this cocktail is super easy and does not require any fancy tools or shakers! You could make it directly in the glass you are going to drink from and all it will need is a stir!
store bought orange juice is not always vegan
I highly recommend using fresh orange juice as it tastes sweeter to me than store bought and a lot of store bought orange juices aren’t actually vegan! Yep. A lot of store bought orange juices are fortified with Vitamin D3 that is sourced from fish or sometimes from sheep’s wool…weird, I know! Moral of the story – look for an orange juice that specifies the source of the Vitamin D or is not fortified. OR make your own! You can’t beat fresh.
Now, this is optional, but if you’re a salt on the rim kind of person, the first thing to do is salt the rim of your glass!
Simply grind some salt onto a plate or in a shallow bowl, wet the rim of your glass and twist the rim in the salt until it’s lightly coated!
Next, make your orange hibiscus margarita! All you need is 5 ingredients:
- hibiscus tea
- orange juice
- lime juice
- simple syrup
- tequila
If you have a shaker, you can add all of the ingredients to your shaker and pour into your glass or simply just add all of the ingredients to your drinking glass over ice and stir!
Super simple and so refreshing.
I can’t wait for you to try this one, it’s GOOD. Would be the perfect thing for Cinco de Mayo in a couple of days!
As always, if you do make this Orange Hibiscus Margarita, don’t forget to tag us on social media! And if you’re not a tequila person, check out our Classic Mint Mojito or our Strawberry Limeade. Something for everyone!
Orange Hibiscus Margarita
Ingredients
- 3 ounces hibiscus tea - instructions for brewing below
- 2 ounces orange juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 ounce simple syrup - instructions for making below
- 2 ounces Silver tequila
- 1 lime - juiced
- Morton kosher salt - optional for rim
Instructions
Margarita Instructions
- Salt the rim of your glass and fill it with crushed ice.
- Pour all ingredients into glass and stir. Or, if using a shaker, add ingredients to your shaker with ice and shake to combine. Pour into your glass over ice and stir.
- Enjoy!
Loose Leaf Hibiscus Tea Brewing Instructions
- Add 2 teaspoons of dried hibiscus flowers to a Pyrex or a French Press.
- Add 8 ounces of hot water and allow tea to steep 5 minutes.
- Strain tea into a mason jar or other container with a lid and refrigerate until cold. You will need to prepare this in advance of making your margaritas or the tea will be too warm.
- This makes enough tea for about 2 margaritas - change measurements accordingly
Simply Syrup Instructions
- Add ¾ cup cane sugar to 5 ounces of warm water. Whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes or until sugar has fully dissolved.
- Creates roughly 8 ounces of simple syrup (enough for 8 cocktails)
- Stores well in the fridge for several days.
Notes
- WARNING: Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol. Please drink responsibly.
- This is the French press I use to make loose leaf tea. I also use it for coffee. I highly recommend!
General note about salt
Please pay attention to the type of salt called for in the recipe (if applicable). Not all salts are made equal and cannot be substituted 1 for 1. If you are substituting table salt for kosher salt, you will need to cut the amount called for in the recipe by at least half.
The kitchen tools section contains affiliate links to products I recommend and love.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Hi Nicolette,
The cocktail looks so bright and colorful and yummy, it immediately called my name. I remembered having dried hibiscus flowers in my cupboards that I rarely use for tea, so what better way to use them up than turning them into a yummy cocktail! I must admit that I had to twist some of the other ingredients a bit, switching simple syrup for grenadine syrup and tequila for grappa, yet the cocktail turned out amazing (currently sipping happily on it :). Thanks for the great recipe, and happy May to you too.
Btw, I included ‘home-cooked roots’ in my list of 100+ vegan blogs everyone needs to know:
https://plantydelights.com/vegan-food-blogs/
Cheers from Germany,
Ramona
I am so happy to hear that, Ramona! I love when I get to use up a product I forgot about and turn it into something great 🙂 Enjoy your margarita!