The summer cocktail of your dreams

 

“Here’s to alcohol, the rose-colored glasses of life.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald

Usually, when the season changes, I’ll latch onto a cocktail for a few weeks. As summer has surely started to set in on Salt Lake City, I’ve been sipping on these hibiscus margaritas.

Think of this libation like: a cocktail that incorporates savory and refreshing in the best way.

An unexpected desert bloom.

My patio has seen several of these over the past two weeks, and so I wanted to share the recipe — and also the amazing ingredients that I used.

Everything I used to make this beautiful cocktail came in this month’s Robb Vices luxury box.

Codigo 1530 Rosa Blanco Tequila: when I tell you that this is one of the best spirits I’ve had in a long time, you have to believe me. This blanco tequila is “rested” for one month in uncharred Napa Cabernet French White Oak barrels. The result is perfection and unlike any other tequila you’ve tasted. It is amazing for cocktails, but this is also a perfect sipping tequila.

To make the hibiscus ginger concentrate, which is central to this cocktail, Robb Vices sent Melissa’s Hibiscus (also known as Jamaica or Don Enrique Hibiscus Pod) as well as Codigo’s own agave syrup. All you do is combine 2 parts agave, 1 part water, 1 cup dried hibiscus leaves, and 5-6 slices of fresh ginger. I didn’t have any fresh ginger, so I used Blue Henry ginger syrup, which worked great. Bring to a boil, then simmer and let flavors marry for 5 – 10 minutes. You get a beautiful, rich, floral concentrate.

For the hibiscus sugar, all you need is a food processor (or a killer blender). Combine half cup or so of demerara sugar and half cup of dried hibiscus flowers.

Blend until you have a fine, combined sugar.

This is so good and beautiful on the rim of the cocktail.

The rest is pretty easy!

Here’s the recipe

There isn’t much I enjoy more than being at home, on my patio, with a really lovely cocktail, family, friends, and a few delicious bites. I don’t need much to be happy. But, a good cocktail is essential.

This margarita can be created with any blanco tequila and you can also find dried hibiscus at most whole food stores.

But, if you really want to experience the quality and luxury in a fun way — try signing up for the Robb Vices box.

And can I just say, it is basically the best gifting option. For corporate gifts, or even for someone special that you might want to send a fun package to. This is by far the best thing I get in the mail each month. I never would have found this amazing Codigo Rosa Blacno tequila otherwise.

I’ll leave you with a poem.
Because that is how I do things these days:

Vintage

by Amy Lowell 1874 – 1925

I will mix me a drink of stars,—
Large stars with polychrome needles,
Small stars jetting maroon and crimson,
Cool, quiet, green stars.
I will tear them out of the sky,
And squeeze them over an old silver cup,
And I will pour the cold scorn of my Beloved into it,
So that my drink shall be bubbled with ice.

It will lap and scratch
As I swallow it down;
And I shall feel it as a serpent of fire,
Coiling and twisting in my belly.
His snortings will rise to my head,
And I shall be hot, and laugh,
Forgetting that I have ever known a woman.