Ask any Jamaican what Christmas tastes like and you'll get the same answer: sorrel. That deep ruby-red drink, spiced with ginger and pimento, cold from the fridge, poured next to a slice of black cake. The color alone is half the experience. Nothing else in the glass looks like sorrel.
But here's the thing we tell customers all the time: you don't have to wait for December. We drink it all year, and once you learn how easy it is to make, you will too.
First, what is sorrel exactly?
Quick clarification, because the name trips people up. Jamaican sorrel is not the leafy green European herb. It's the dried calyx (the flower covering) of Hibiscus sabdariffa, a type of hibiscus. Same plant behind agua de jamaica in Mexico and bissap in West Africa. Dried, it looks like dark red, papery petals. Brewed, it gives you that unmistakable crimson color and a tart, cranberry-like flavor.
We sell dried sorrel by the bag in our raw herbs and superfoods section, and around November it flies off the shelf. Buy early. Ask anyone who's shown up on December 23rd.
What you'll need
- 2 cups dried sorrel (hibiscus)
- 8 cups water
- 1 large piece of fresh ginger (about 3 inches), grated or sliced thin
- 6 to 8 pimento berries (allspice), lightly crushed
- 2 or 3 whole cloves (optional)
- 1 piece of dried orange peel (optional, but nice)
- Sugar to taste, usually 1 to 1.5 cups, or sweeten with honey
- A splash of white rum or red wine (optional, grown folks' version)
How to make it
- Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
- Add the sorrel, ginger, pimento, cloves, and orange peel. Stir once.
- Let it boil for about 2 minutes, then cut the heat, cover the pot, and walk away.
- Here's the part people rush: let it steep for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better. Overnight is correct. The color deepens, the ginger settles in, and the whole thing becomes itself.
- Strain it through a fine sieve into a pitcher, pressing the sorrel to get every drop.
- Sweeten while you strain or after, tasting as you go. Sorrel is tart, so don't be shy, but don't drown it either.
- Add the rum or wine now if you're using it.
- Chill thoroughly. Serve over ice. Ice is not optional in Florida.
The little things that make it taste like home
Every family has its tweaks, and everyone's grandmother made it best. Some houses go heavy on ginger until the drink bites back. Some add a cinnamon stick. Some swear by the orange peel and some have never heard of it. Our advice: make the base recipe once, then start adjusting. By your third batch it'll be your family's recipe too.
One real tip: don't skimp on steeping time. A quick 30-minute sorrel tastes thin and never quite gets there. The overnight rest is where the flavor lives.
The Christmas thing, explained
Sorrel became a Christmas drink in Jamaica because that's when the fresh crop traditionally came in, right at the end of the year. So it got woven into the season alongside black cake and curry goat and every aunt arriving at once. But dried sorrel keeps beautifully, which means the season never has to end. We brew it fresh at our Lauderdale Lakes juice bar when it's on, so check the juice bar menu if you'd rather taste it before you make it.
Come get your sorrel
We keep dried sorrel, whole pimento, and fresh ginger in stock at the shop. Come by Lauderdale Lakes or North Lauderdale, Monday through Saturday 9am to 7pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm. If it's your first batch, tell us at the counter. We'll talk you through it and probably argue with each other about the right amount of ginger while we do.
