hibiscus blood orange margarita
A wild cocktail appears!
After quite a dry spell – I blame the holiday hubbub and very active shakery in my household – I started feeling the urge to start mixing at home again. J and I have been fairly purposeful lately with weekly “Happy Hour” whether we stay in or head out somewhere to grab a glass of wine before dinner. We see it as a way to connect sans distraction, even if our adventure only takes us over to the pool area for our drinks. Kind of like Monday fika, a sweet treat and coffee pause to slice up the workday like a good piece of cake.
Our weather has jumped to and fro this past week. Several consecutive days our air was dry and the sun crisp and warm, and lying by the pool or strolling after work felt luxurious and comforting. Yesterday and today, clouds boiled in, humidity climbed, and during a run my face flushed so badly the hue veered closer to violet than red. Good ole summertime.
Thankfully, we’ve fresh, bright, cooling drinks like this Hibiscus Blood Orange Margarita. Wanted to get this out at the tail end of blood orange season before those unique fruits vanish off store shelves. Every blood orange is so different as far as inner hue goes: some are light scarlet, others vaguely cerise, more yet like amber or tourmaline. The citrus lends a tart, sweet lick to a cocktail infused with floral tea, a bit of honey, and a rim of spicy chili salt.
Tea Time
Like most cocktails, the process is quite simple. Set aside a bit of time to steep your tea.
Brew a strong batch of hibiscus tea for 5 minutes, then discard the bags and stir in some honey. Juice a blood orange straight into the tea.
Then, for the salt rim, combine kosher salt with chili powder. Rub a cocktail glass with a lime or orange wedge, then dip and twirl and slide the glass into the salt to coat.
In a cocktail shaker, or jar if you prefer, combine the tea and orange juice, tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Add lots of ice and shaky shake until good and cold. Pour into the glass, top with some fun garnishes like mint and lime wedges. Sippy sippy.
I’d idealize lounging by the pool with a cold bev in hand, but the reality is I’d probably drop the thing on the ground due to the sweat on my fingers and the condensation on the glass – so let’s keep it real here and imagine ourselves at the dining table or on the couch, around someone we cherish, clinking our drinks in a toast to a moment of bliss.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Transport to the tropics with these pasttimes:
Blushing Grapefruit Ginger Margarita
hibiscus blood orange margarita
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 hibiscus tea bags
- 1 blood orange, for juice (about 3-4 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 oz tequila
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz Cointreau (orange liqueur)
- blood orange slices, lime wedges, and mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes. Discard the bags and stir in honey. Let cool slightly.
- In a shallow bowl or plate, sift together the salt and chili powder. Run a lime or orange wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass, then dip and swirl the rim in the salt to coat. Tap off any excess.
- In a shaker, combine the hibiscus tea, blood orange juice, tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau. Add ice and shake until cold. Pour into the prepared cocktail glass and garnish with mint leaves, lime wedges, and blood orange wheels, as desired.
