I’ve indulged in my fair share of cocktails this year, but sometimes, I just want a fun, fizzy, non-alcoholic drink. Something cold to savor on a hot afternoon, or an enticing alternative to chilled wine in the evening. Something party-worthy to offer my friends and family members, and all the cute kids who come with them.
This beauty is refreshing and hydrating, and so colorful that it makes a slow afternoon seem downright festive. The outrageous pink color comes from hibiscus tea, which is easy to find at the grocery store if you look for Tazo’s “Passion” blend.
Once the tea has had a chance to cool, we’ll fill our glasses (or a pitcher) with ice. We’ll finish off these drinks with some honey simple syrup (as little or as much as you want), a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a gentle glug of Topo Chico, the finest of sparkling waters. This hibiscus drink is a fun spin on agua de Jamaica (hibiscus iced tea commonly served in Mexico).
I’ve been on a Topo Chico kick this summer, but really, any sparkling water will do. The end result is full of flavor, lightly sweet, and irresistibly bubbly.
A note on pregnancy safety: Hibiscus is considered potentially unsafe for pregnancy, so out of an abundance of caution, I would not recommend this mocktail if you are expecting.
A Not-Too-Sweet, Non-Alcoholic Drink
The word “mocktail” makes me cringe a little, but this drink? It makes me happy. My issue with mocktails, beyond the name, is that they tend to be sugary sweet. Copious amounts of sugar or soda have always seemed unnecessary, especially since these drinks lack the bite of alcohol.
This mocktail recipe is closer to a homemade LaCroix than a 1950s punch. I wish I could order low-calorie drinks like this at coffee shops, when it’s too late in the day for coffee. In fact, I’d venture to say that we could use more light, fizzy drinks like this right now—what do you say?
More non-alcoholic drinks:
- Cold Brew Iced Tea
- Frozen Mint Lemonade
- Hibiscus Pink Lemonade in Love Real Food, page 138
- Pink Drink
- Summertime Aguas Frescas
- Watermelon Juice
Please let me know how your drink turns out in the comments! I really love hearing from you.
Refreshing Hibiscus Mocktail
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes (plus 20 minutes cool time)
- Yield: 4 drinks 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Calorie
Looking for a not-too-sweet mocktail recipe? This sparkling non-alcoholic hibiscus drink is just the ticket! It’s colorful, festive, and simple to make. Recipe yields 4 medium (12-ounce) drinks. Multiply as necessary, or double it to make a big pitcher (combine just when you’re ready to serve).
Ingredients
Mocktails
- 3 bags of hibiscus tea or 1 tablespoon loose hibiscus tea (I used Tazo’s “Passion” blend)
- 3 cups (24 ounces) water
- 2 small limes (about 4 tablespoons lime juice), plus lime rounds for garnish
- Topo Chico or other sparkling water or club soda
- Ice, for serving
Honey Simple Syrup*
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- To prepare the tea component, heat the water to a low simmer, either in a tea pot or in a saucepan on the stovetop. Steep the tea in the hot water for 3 minutes, then remove the bags (or strain off the loose tea). Set the tea aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- To make the honey syrup: Combine equal parts honey and water (say, 2 tablespoons each if you’re only making one batch of drinks) in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan. Warm in the microwave or over the stovetop just until you can completely stir the honey into the water. Set aside.
- When you’re ready to serve, fill four medium glasses with ice. Fill each halfway with hibiscus tea. Top each with about a tablespoon of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of the honey simple syrup, and stir to combine. Fill the rest of each glass with sparkling water, gently stirring afterward to combine. You may want to adjust to taste by using less lime juice or more simple syrup—totally up to you! Serve promptly.
Notes
Prepare in advance: You can make the tea component and honey simple syrup in advance, and chill both separately until you’re ready to serve. I’d suggest mixing the drinks just before serving since the sparkling water loses its carbonation over time.
Change it up: For a fun twist, add a splash of homemade watermelon juice to each drink!
Make it vegan: Use traditional simple syrup instead of honey simple syrup (substitute vegan cane sugar for the honey, and warm the mixture until the sugar is fully dissolved).
*Simple syrup note: We mix the warm water with honey in this fashion because full-strength honey doesn’t mix well with liquids. You might have a bit of simple syrup left over—save it to sweeten your coffee/tea/cocktails (it keeps well for up to 2 weeks), or discard it.
A note on pregnancy safety: Hibiscus is considered potentially unsafe for pregnancy, so out of an abundance of caution, I would not recommend this mocktail if you are expecting.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Hayley
My mom’s friend used to make something similar for me when we would go over to her house, as a fun alternative while all the adults were sipping wine. I love making fun drinks like these to sip on weeknights (I only drink alcohol on weekends). Love the pretty colour, and I love hibiscus tea so I know we’ll enjoy these :)
Kate
I hope you love them, Hayley! Also, how fun you would get your own little drink when you were younger.
Sj LeHoven
I love your posts! But . . . the ads are becoming rather annoying. Are they absolutely necessary?
Aloha,
Sj
Kate
Hi Sj, I’m happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes. I try to keep my ads to a minimum, but like other businesses, I have had to adjust due to the recent times. To be candid, the ads allow me to create delicious recipes for you to earn a living. I do appreciate your feedback and value it. As things evolve, I will reevaluate. I appreciate your understanding!
Sj LeHoven
Understood, beautiful and talented Kate. I’ll just keep propping a book on my computer to cover them. ;-)
Wishing you well now and always.
Sj
Ruth Apter
I have been making sun tea from wild harvested fireweed leaves, stinging nettles and homegrown mints. To this mixture I add rooibos and hibiscus flowers that my co-op carries in bulk. To make a very refreshing drink I add my favorite kombucha. You can do equal amounts or more of one than the other. I top the drink off with lemon juice. This is a very refreshing drink.
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ruth!
Joy Seufert
I AM SO EXCITED!! I have updated my Saturday grocery list and will be enjoying this late afternoon. South Florida is the perfect setting for this refreshing mocktail! Thanks for sharing!
Kate
I hope you find it refreshing, Joy!
California Kim
This is essentially agua de jamaica, no? A very popular drink at Mexican restaurants in California. Try it with dried jamaica, it’s much more flavorful with the whole petals and usually far fresher than hibiscus tea. Available at carnicerias or online.
Kate
Hi Kim! I need to track down some dried hibiscus flowers. To my understanding, agua de jamaica is Spanish for “hibiscus water,” or hibiscus tea. This recipe is iced hibiscus tea dressed up with sparkling water, lime and honey simple syrup—so yes, essentially the same thing!
Colleen
I made a single serving and subbed agave syrup because I was out of honey. Delicious, really refreshing on this 115-degree desert day, and so pretty! Thanks!
★★★★★
Lynn
Drug ads? Politics? At least stick to kitchen utensils. Your website is totally unreadable. I love your recipes but it is not worth it at all at this point. Thank you for them but I will stick to a book.
Kate
Hi Lynn, I’m sorry to hear you have had a poor experience. I try to keep my ads to a minimum, but like other businesses, I have had to adjust due to the recent challenges. Ads are served based on browser history and I have some control (inappropriate content, etc), but not overarching. To be candid, the ads allow me to create delicious recipes for you to earn a living. I do appreciate your feedback and value it. As things evolve, I will reevaluate. I appreciate your understanding!
Lynn Troy
That makes sense about it being based on browsing, because I read the news (politics) and I am a physician so I read a lot of medical websites too (Drugs). I guess I got triggered because food blogs and recipes are where I go to escape and relax, when I am tired of those topics.
I also look at Jamie Oliver, Green Kitchen Stories, Bon Appetit so some of it is going from one of those to yours, the ads are really front and center. Well anyway thanks for responding and good luck with your website.
Curtis
I love your blog and drinks I’m looking at some smoothie and cocktail over 130 recipes you might want to try out
★★★★★
Natalie Dressman
Really refreshing. A nice treat for a warm evening.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m excited you loved it!
Kate
This looks great!
Would love to know what these glasses are.
Thanks!