Amazing Hibiscus Mulled Wine Mocktail and Kwanzaa Mimosa
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 45 min (includes steeping time)
- Active: 15 min
Ingredients
Amazing Hibiscus Mulled Wine Mocktail:
2 tablespoons dried tart cherries or 2 ounces tart cherry juice
4 whole cloves
4 grains ashanti pepper
4 whole black peppercorns
4 whole allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 whole nutmeg round
1/2 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar crystals, honey, date sugar or maple syrup)
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers (also known as Jamaica at Latinx markets)
2 teaspoons rooibos (red bush) loose tea
Peel of 1 orange
4 wheels or half-circles seasonal citrus, such as lime, lemon, tangerine or orange, for serving
Kwanzaa Mimosa:
Crystalized ginger, for the zawadi cubes
Spirit of choice, such as bourbon or dark rum, for serving
Amber maple syrup, for mixing
Fresh lime juice, for mixing
Sparkling rosé, for topping
Directions
- For the amazing hibiscus mulled wine mocktail: Add 4 cups water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, then add the dried cherries, cloves, ashanti pepper, black peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon sticks, ginger and nutmeg (see Cook's Note). Let simmer until the mixture is aromatic, about 1 hour.
- Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Turn off the heat, then add the hibiscus flowers, rooibos tea and orange peel. Cover and let steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a separate container. Reheat gently until warm just before serving, then pour into heatproof cups or mugs. Garnish with the citrus wheels and serve immediately.
- For the Kwanzaa mimosa: Make zawadi cubes by placing a piece of crystalized ginger into each compartment of an ice mold, then filling the ice mold with some of the mulled wine mocktail mixture. Freeze until solid.
- Fill each cocktail glass with 1 ounce spirit, 1 teaspoon amber maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon lime juice and stir to combine. Drop a frozen zawadi cube into the cocktail glass, top it off with sparkling rosé and wait for your Kwanzaa gift to be revealed! Sip your Kwanzaa mimosa responsibly ;-).
Cook’s Note
Each spice ingredient can be dialed up or down according to personal preference. Do not boil or overcook the mixture to maintain color vibrancy.