Happy Halloween Tea and Book Lovers!
You're probably following this post from our second episode of the podcast. There we spoke about Bram Stroker's Dracula and how it added to the legend of the Vampire. We decided to pair the classic Gothic Horror novel with Hibiscus Tea.
Why Hibiscus? Because of it's beautiful blood rich color when infused. The tartiness adds to that extra 'bite' to any blend giving it a little something extra. (yes, pun intended) Hibiscus is a flower that is dried and used as an herb many countries. It makes a popular tea that can be prepared in a variety of ways. Be it hot, cold, sweetened or straight; this is one tea ingredient I make sure that my tea pantry is never without.
In this post we are giving you two recipes for this wonderful intoxicating drink. One is a show stopping liqueur that will that perfect eerie element to a Halloween bash. The other is a tea blend that is great cold or hot to adjust with whatever the weather may be outside. Both are our favorite ways to prepare Hibiscus here at Biblio Sinensis.
Here is a favorite alcoholic tea infusion that we have regularly. Candice, our house mixologist, usually brings this over in mason jars that she stores and ages for weeks (or months)in her pantry. It's perfect for this time of year as the weather changes. The tartness of the Hibiscus blends with the spicy notes from the clove and ginger. It would be safe to say that this is the harder cousin of mulled wine. Here is a better photo of the deep red that it becomes. The honey simple syrup mixture in it gives it a really thick 'blood' like consistency.
We had these as shots this past Saturday, which really but they go great with some Ginger Ale or some Club Soda as spritzers. Try using it in replacement of drinks that need Grenadine for a surprising extra kick. I could see this heated and blended as a beautiful modified version of a Hot Toddy.
Blood (Spiced Hibiscus Liqueur)
Ingredients:
- 3 quart-sized discs of unpeeled fresh ginger
- 10 whole cloves
- 1 liter blended lightly aged rum
- 3/4c dried Hibiscus flowers
- simple syrup (Made with 1 part sugar, 1 part honey, and 2 parts water. Boiled together and cooled.)
Directions:
- In a large glass jar with lid, combine ginger, cloves, and rum. Let sit covered at room temperature fir at least 24 hours.
- Strain out cloves and ginger and discard.
- Add dried hibiscus to rum. Let sit, covered at room temperature for 48 hours. Strain flowers and discard.
- Transfer rum into glass bottles and seal well. The infusion will keep at room temperature for at least 6 months.
- To sweeten the mixture, add your preferred amount of simple syrup mixture according to taste.
For those of you that are looking for an alcoholic free version. Look no further than here for our 'Virgin Blood' recipe. This simple blend is something that I like to have on almost all occasions. I usually let this tea boil on the stove and infuse on low for hours. Not only does it give me that beautiful blood rich color, but it also makes my house smell heavenly! This is a great tea to serve for simple get togethers when your in a pinch for time. I like to serve mine chilled in a carafe (Like the 'unicorn' one I have in the top photo) with clear goblets.
I also like to add a little bit of sweetness with rose syrup. If you don't have any available some simple syrup like the one made for the liqueur will work as well. If I know that I'll be drinking plenty of this through the day, I like to add a Stevia as my sweetener of choice.
You can use any type of dried rose petals, but I prefer the crimson red petals as they add to the darkness in the drinks color. They are also usually sold at a much cheaper price since they darken blends unlike the much more popular pink rose petals.
Virgin Blood (Hibiscus & Rose Tisane)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup dried rose petals
- 1/4 cup dried hibiscus
- rose syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 8-10 cups of water
Directions:
- In a large pot, add your rose petals, hibiscus, and water. Bring to a boil.
- Once mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer. Simmer the tea for a minimum of 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let it set for 10 minutes before straining mixture into a tea pot. Cool to room temperature if you are planing to server chilled. Transfer to carafe and add ice to preference.
- To sweeten the mixture, add your preferred amount of rose syrup according to taste
If you find yourself making this in the warmer months, try chilling it and garnishing it with some fresh mint.
I hope that you give these Hibiscus Recipes a try! Have a wonderful spooky Halloween Everyone!
Cheers!
Stef
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