Make this easy hibiscus mocktail with layers of rose, orange, and honey flavors and sparkling effervescence in just 10 minutes! It's a truly elegant and beautiful zero-proof craft beverage perfect for enjoying at home.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my tropical hibiscus lemonade and hibiscus southern sweet tea, too!
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Why is it called a mocktail?
A mocktail is a play on the word cocktail and refers to a craft style drink made and served in the same style as a cocktail except non-alcoholic. Sodas, juices, herbs, teas, and syrups are all fair game.
The base of this mock-tail drink is hibiscus tea, which originates in West Africa and has traveled throughout around the world through the African diaspora to become a staple in Latin, Caribbean, and even Asian cuisines.
Known as sorrel, jamaica, roselle, and many other names, I call it zobo, as it is called in Nigeria. I love making warm zobo tea but it's a truly versatile ingredient that works several ways!
❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Quick & Easy - You only need five minutes and no fancy cocktail tools to make this hibiscus cooler mocktail. Check out my kitchen tool dupes for homemade mocktails below!
Few Quality Ingredients - I tried my first tea-tail on the side of a mountain while traveling solo to Banff, Alberta, but you only need to go to the grocery store to grab supplies for this sparkling craft hibiscus mocktail recipe.
Balanced Flavor - If you're wondering what flavors pair with hibiscus, the possibilities are endless! In this hibiscus rose mocktail, you'll get floral, fruity, bright, and slightly earthy flavor notes. Think of this as a homemade hibiscus refresher, except far better.
We LOVE flavored mocktails around here, like my healthy grapefruit mocktail, easy ginger ale mocktail, and super refreshing coconut water mocktail. And don't sleep on my mint tea mocktail, either!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Hibiscus Tea brewed from dried hibiscus flowers or a hibiscus tea bag in warm water. I recommend organic food-grade dried hibiscus flowers and keep them on hand.
Rose Water adds a strong floral flavor so a little bit goes a long way. Just a drop or two will provide lovely rose aroma and taste.
And if you like mocktails with rose water, try my Valentine's Day mocktail with strawberry, vanilla, and rose, next!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Citrus - I love sweet Cara Cara orange or blood orange juice in this recipe but you can use whichever variety you can find. I recommend fresh orange for the best flavor and so that you can use the peel for garnish.
Sparkling Water - I'm not picky about the kind of water but Topo Chico mocktails are popular and this can certainly be one of them if that's the brand you prefer. Any unflavored seltzer or club soda will also work for making this hibiscus spritz.
Sweetener - I make this non alcoholic hibiscus drink with honey but you can use maple syrup, agave or sugar to make it vegan. You could even use my spiced hibiscus simple syrup or citrus syrup or ginger turmeric honey syrup to add sweetness and extra flavor!
How to Make a Mocktail with Hibiscus Tea
Step One: Run a piece of orange around the sipping edge of a highball glass then dip the glass into rose petals and sugar to create a decorative rim.
Step Two: Peel a strip of orange rind and twist it to make a garnish.
Pro Tip #1: Twist the orange rind around a pencil or straw to help form a good spiral shape!
Step Three: Mix honey with warm hibiscus tea until dissolved.
Step Four: Stir in rose water and orange juice.
Step Five: Add ice and stir vigorously until chilled.
Step Six: Pour tea mixture into prepared glass over fresh ice then top with sparkling water.
Pro Tip #2: If you don't have a mixing glass, jigger, and bar spoon to make this hibiscus iced tea mock-tail, you can use a table spoon (with a gentle hand), multi-measuring cup, and a standard size shot glass as dupes for these tools!
Quick Hibiscus Mocktail Video
Try my two step hibiscus ginger beer recipe, next!
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this mocktail ahead of time, just reserve the ice and sparkling water until you're ready to serve and store in the fridge.
Brew a pitcher of hibiscus tea in advance to make an easy big batch. This tip is great for making multiple drinks and even saves time for crafting a single.
More Favorite Hibiscus Drinks
I hope you'll enjoy this sparkling hibiscus tea mocktail soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Sparkling Hibiscus Mocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus or one hibiscus tea bag
- 4 ounces warm water
- ¼ teaspoon dried rose petals
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ orange Cara Cara, blood orange, or navel preferred
- ⅛ teaspoon rose water
- ice
- sparkling water
Instructions
- Steep hibiscus tea in warm water for about five minutes or until the water turns a deep purple color.
- Meanwhile, mix together dried rose petals and sparkling sugar in a shallow dish. Run the orange around the rim of a highball glass then dip the glass in rose and sugar mixture to create decorative rim.
- Remove hibiscus from steeped tea. Add honey and stir until dissolved. Be sure to mix in the honey before adding any cold ingredients, to ensure it dissolves. Cold temperature makes honey nearly impossible to mix.
- Squeeze orange juice into tea, followed by rose water.
- Add about ½ cup of ice to this mixture and stir vigorously until chilled (about five seconds).
- Fill prepared highball glass halfway with fresh ice then strain the tea mixture into the glass.
- Top up with sparkling water and garnish with twisted orange peel, if desired.
Isabella says
Absolutely love treating myself to one of these mocktails once in a while. They're so refreshing and feel like a little treat. I also like making a cocktail version of this by replacing the sparkling water with prosecco (they're sooo delicious!).
Thanks for this wonderful recipe 🙂
Jazzmine Woodard says
You're welcome, Isabella! So glad you enjoyed this one.
Jen Sim says
I love anything with hibiscus in it so I was naturally excited to try this cocktail. It delivered so much flavor and the addition of rose water was delicious!
Jessica Lawson says
I made these for a baby shower over the weekend and everyone was in love. So refreshing. Big hit!
Robin says
I have never consumed rose water nor rose petals before. This mocktail was as refreshing as it was gorgeous!
Marta says
I loved so much about this honey hibiscus mocktail, but even that small amount rose flavor sent from delicious to beyond amazing. I'll definitely try this again.