Cherry Hibiscus Refresher

Nothing tastes better in the hot afternoon than this cherry hibiscus refresher with homemade cherry syrup and fresh lime. 

This refresher is genuinely so refreshing – the lime and pinch of salt give a nice little kick and mental clarity, and the pairing of tangy hibiscus with the sweet cherry syrup is heaven. In essence, this cherry hibiscus refresher can double as both an afternoon refresher or an evening mocktail!! 

Note: inspo from Ella Henry – creator and genius behind @glowwithella.

Cherry Hibiscus Refresher Ingredients 

• Red cherries 
• Hibiscus tea: Any loose-leaf hibiscus tea works – loving this one from Rishi. 
• Honey or cane sugar: Honey and cane sugar are the two best sweeteners for this drink – they both have a mild flavor profile that works well with the cherry and hibiscus. Important note: do not use coconut sugar for this drink – it has strong caramel notes that don’t pair well with this.
• Limes: Lemons also work, but limes pair better.
• Kosher salt: Salt is the magic ingredient here – it amplifies the flavor of the cherries and hibiscus. 

How to Make this Refresher

There’s only one component of this drink that really needs to be prepped ahead of time: the cherry syrup. 

Start by prepping the cherries – you can pit them using a metal straw, slicing them in half and removing the pit, or using a cherry pitter. 

Add the pitted cherries to a large pot, along with the water, honey/cane sugar, and salt. Place the cherries on the stove over medium heat and let them simmer until they start to froth. Gently mash the cherries with a fork or potato masher (by now, the cherries should be soft), and let them continue to cook down for an additional 5 minutes. The goal here is to evaporate any excess water and build a concentrated syrup. 

Once the syrup has thickened a bit, strain over a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. Save the cherry pulp for making cherry almond butter toast (yes, it tastes amazing). Pour the syrup into a jar and store it in the fridge.

When you’re reading to make your refresher, brew 1/2 cup hibiscus tea (details on proper brewing are in the recipe card below), and pour the tea over a cup filled with ice, followed by 3-4 tbsp cherry syrup, and 2 tbsp lime juice. Stir or shake vigorously and enjoy!

Notes & Suggestions 

• Don’t pit the cherries? Ok, I haven’t personally tried this, but technically speaking, you could skip pitting the cherries and simmer the syrup with the cherries pit in. Since the syrup isn’t blended (it’s strained), it shouldn’t matter. That said, I do have two notes: the cherry pit could give the syrup a slightly bitter note, and two; you won’t be able to save the discarded/remnant cherries for other uses, like ice cream or jam.
• Play around with the syrup and use different fruits. I personally love the combo of cherry and hibiscus best, but blueberries or blackberries also pair really well.
• Feel free to brew a big batch of hibiscus tea. I’m fine with brewing hibiscus tea on a need-to-drink basis, but feel free to brew a big batch (5-6 cups) so it’s even easier to throw this drink together. My ratio of loose-leaf hibiscus to water is 1 tbsp (6 g) for every 1/2 cup (115 g) water.

Ok that’s all for this drink! Can’t wait for you to make this cherry hibiscus refresher. Don’t forget to leave a starred review and rating – love hearing your feedback!!

Happy cherry season!

-Yasmeen

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