hibiscus infused vodka sidecar with a hibiscus sugar rim

Bring on the sunny days and brightly colored drinks. Refresh yourself with this easy/fancy sipper made with homemade hibiscus infused vodka. Mostly a sidecar but perhaps more like the sort of sidecar you might find in the tropics- bright pink, strong enough for the bumpy roads. Maybe like this vintage vespa 150 from Bali ?

There is a little planning ahead the infusion will take a few hours but after that sit back, relax, enjoy your drink.

hibiscus infused vodka sidecar with a hibiscus sugar rim

tips and tricks for hibiscus infused vodka

• Hibiscus infused vodka only takes an hour or two to reach maximum flavor and color. I used whole hibiscus flowers in the vodka so if you opt for a tea things might go even faster.
• to make the infused vodka (make as much, or as little as you like, I made six ounces because that was what was left in a bottle) Combine approximately one teaspoon of loose hibiscus tea- or one tea bag- per five ounces of vodka, that’s five teabags for the whole 750ml bottle. I used two small whole dry blossoms for six ounces of vodka.
• combine vodka and tea and infuse for at least two hours or up to twelve- this is a personal choice, I might do a longer infusion if I was making a more diluted drink, say the same as this vodka sidecar just with a shot of fizzy water.
• don’t forget to strain once the vodka is infused to your liking. Unlike with infusing coffee or peppers you reach a max long before bitter sneaks in but the hibiscus flavor can get overwhelming none the less.

a note about triple sec

Given an unlimited budget I would stock my bar with Cointreau for my go to triple sec, it’s assertively orangey and balanced, and, yes, it is a triple sec they just quit advertising that fact when all the inferior imitators took to market.  

But that unlimited budget still doesn’t exist, except for a brief blurry moment as I drift into dreams, so I mostly use Bolls which is 1/6th the price.

hibiscus infused vodka sidecar with a hibiscus sugar rim

homemade hibiscus infused vodka makes a delightfully tart and vibrant sidecar

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 ounces hibiscus infused vodka
• 2 ounces triple sec
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• hibiscus sugar fior garnish

Instructions

 

Make the hibiscus sugar:

• Combine about a half teaspoon of hibiscus with one tablespoon white granulated sugar. In a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle- whir or crush until integrated to your satisfaction.
• Place the hibiscus sugar on a small plate coat the edge of your glass with lime juice. Allow to dry for about ten seconds (the sugar sticks better this way) and then rim the glass with the hibiscus sugar
• combine remaining ingredients with ice, shake until frothy cold and then strain into the sidecar glass

Tried this recipe?Mention @recipefiction or tag #recipefiction!