Name: Hibiscus Margarita Recipe
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 1 margarita
Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces tequila blanco; 1/4 ounce orange Curaçao; 3/4 ounce hibiscus syrup; 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice; Kosher salt for rim; Lime wheel for garnish; 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers; 1 quart simple syrup

Share via
- Email
- Facebook
- X
- LinkedIn
- Threads
- Reddit
- WhatsApp

Print RecipePrint Recipe

By Shannon Mustipher

April 20, 2025

This hibiscus margarita in Carolina Pardilla’s “Margarita Time” cookbook is from winner of the Tales of the Cocktail Pioneer Award, and author of “Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails,” bartender Shannon Mustipher, who wanted to create a hibiscus cocktail as a nod to her hometown of Charleston, S.C.

There, the flowers grow along the coast and are traditionally used to make a red drink or tea, similar to West African bissap and Caribbean sorrel. Since jamaica (hibiscus) is enjoyed as an agua fresca in Mexico, mixing it with the agave spirit was logical. Now this hibiscus margarita with its tangy, cranberry-like flavors, is her go-to riff on the classic cocktail.

Shannon Mustipher's Hibiscus Margarita

1 ½ ounces tequila blanco

¼ ounce orange Curaçao

¾ ounce hibiscus syrup

¾ ounce fresh lime juice

Kosher salt for rim

Lime wheel for garnish

½ cup dried hibiscus flowers

1 quart simple syrup

For hibiscus syrup: Add whole cloves and cinnamon sticks to a saucepan over medium-high heat and toast for 15 to 20 seconds. Add dried hibiscus flowers to the pan and stir until aromatic, 30 to 60 seconds. Add simple syrup and stir to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the mixture is fragrant and a deep purple-pink color. Remove from the heat and let cool for one hour. Once cooled, strain into a sealable container. The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Note: This makes a large batch, and it can be used as a nonalcoholic ingredient for a sober-friendly option, such as lengthened by seltzer or water with a splash of lemon.

Rim a rocks glass with salt and set in the freezer. Add the tequila, Curaçao, hibiscus syrup and lime juice to a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into the chilled, ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.