Jamaican Sorrel Drink Recipe

Sorrel Drink is a sweet, refreshing Jamaican beverage made from hibiscus and warm spices. Its vibrant red colour makes it a must-have for Caribbean Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. Enjoy it with or without rum for an easy, floral drink that captures the festive spirit of the season.

Interested in more traditional Jamaican beverages? You’ve got to try my Ginger Beer Recipe, Honey Ginger Tea and this Tropical Rum Punch for all the island feels, which includes a non-alcoholic recipe as well!

Jamaican Sorrel Drink

A Jamaican Christmas celebration isn’t complete without a big batch of sorrel! And it’s always a hit whether it’s spiked with Wray & Nephew rum for adults or served as a tart, spiced juice for the kids.

This festive drink is a holiday tradition, perfect for parties and family gatherings. It’s super easy to make. Just boil, simmer, and let it steep overnight for the flavours to really come together.

The best part? You can make a large batch and enjoy it throughout the season. Whether you prefer sorrel spiked or alcohol-free, this versatile hibiscus drink is always a crowd-pleaser!

What is Sorrel?

Sorrel is a drink made from the hibiscus plant, giving it a naturally rich red hue. It is commonly used for making drinks like sorrel juice, herbal teas, extracts, tinctures, supplements, and simple syrup.

To prepare the drink, you steep the petals with ginger, allspice, and other warm spices, then sweeten and chill. Don’t mistake this tart and refreshing juice for the leafy green sorrel. Here we’re referring to fresh or dried hibiscus.

In Jamaica, sorrel is in season during the winter. That is when the hibiscus plant blossoms. So this explains why Jamaican sorrel drink is so popular during that time of year. However, now you can purchase sorrel dried or fresh year-round.

What is the Difference Between Dried Sorrel and Fresh Sorrel?

You must pick, deseed, and boil fresh sorrel fruit. Whereas, dried sorrel is typically found packaged in supermarkets making it more commonly used than sorrel recipes. It has a stronger flavour and a deeper colour than fresh sorrel. If you use fresh sorrel, you will need to use more to account for the lighter taste and hue.

What are the benefits of Sorrel Drink?

Sorrel has many health benefits and is a rich source of certain vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It is also known to lower blood pressure and have strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Ingredients

• Sorrel (Choose Either Dried or Fresh):
  • Dried Sorrel: More commonly used and available year-round.
  • Fresh Sorrel: Typically found around the Christmas season; be sure to rinse thoroughly before use.
• Ginger: If possible, use Jamaican or Caribbean ginger for its stronger, more pungent flavour. Pound it with a mallet to release the essence into the drink.
• Whole Allspice Berries (Pimento Berries/Seeds): An essential aromatic spice in Jamaican dishes, adding depth and warmth to the sorrel drink.
• Water: Serves as the base, extracting the flavours from the sorrel, ginger, and allspice.

To Flavour and Sweeten

• Brown Sugar: This gives the sorrel a subtle deep caramel like flavour. Add as much or as little as you prefer and sweeten to taste.
• White Granulated Sugar: This sugar is sweeter in taste so consider using less to attain your desired taste.
• J. Wray & Nephew Red Label Wine: Alternatively you can use a sweet red dessert wine or your preferred wine of choice. This red label wine has notes of candied berries, marzipan, raisins and nutmeg and even hints of dark chocolate
• Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum: This is a classic Jamaican white rum, use this or your rum of choice.

Optional Add-Ins

• Orange Peel: Add one full orange peel for added flavour.
• Whole Cloves: Use these alongside whole allspice berries for added depth of flavour.

How to Make Sorrel Drink

To make Jamaican sorrel drink, I start by bringing a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Once it’s bubbling, I add the ginger, sorrel (whether dried or fresh), and allspice berries, giving it a quick stir.

I let it simmer for about 15 minutes, then remove it from the heat and cover the pot to let everything steep for at least 12 hours or overnight for the best flavour. After steeping, I strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer, discarding the ginger, sorrel, and allspice berries.

Next, I sweeten the drink to taste with both brown and white sugar, then stir in rum and wine if I’m adding alcohol. Finally, I serve the sorrel over ice, garnished with a lime or orange wedge for a refreshing finish.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Optional Add-Ins: Consider adding in orange peels, cloves, cinnamon sticks, fresh mint, star anise, bay leaves, and vanilla extract to name a few.
• Add Fruit: Slice fruit like lemon, lime, oranges, and pineapples and throw them in for a tropical punch.
• Natural Sweetener: Add maple syrup, agave, cane sugar, coconut sugar or honey.

Can I Make this Ahead of Time?

Yes, prepare sorrel ahead of time. After the mixture is simmered, it needs to sit for at least 12 hours so the flavours have time to infuse the water. So definitely make this at least half a day before you plan to serve.

Storage

Store sorrel in a closed container or sealed bottle in the fridge and consume within one week. But if it is mixed with alcohol, it can last up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

More Jamaican Recipes

• Mango Scotch Bonnet Daiquiri
• Jamaican Guinness Punch
• How to Soak Fruit for Christmas Cake
• Jamaican Coconut Drops
• Gungo Peas Soup
• Jamaican Red Peas Soup
• Jamaican Curry Goat
• Ackee and Saltfish
• Brown Stew Fish
• Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
• Jerk Chicken Sandwich

If you try this Sorrel Drink recipe, we’d greatly appreciate if you leave us a star ★ rating, as well as some feedback in the comment section below if you found this blog post helpful and tasty!

Also, please use the hashtag #theseasonedskillet on social media for a chance to be featured, and don’t forget to keep up with TSS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest!

Lastly, sign up to our Friday weekly newsletter for the latest TSS updates, blog posts and recipes straight to your inbox.

Oh, and share, share, share with your family and friends!