Sorrel Drink

Method

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1. Rinse the sorrel in cold water.

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2. Boil the water with the ginger, cloves, cinnamon, orange peel and bay for 10 minutes.

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3. Take the pan off the heat, add the sorrel, cover and leave to cool to room temperature.

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4. Refrigerate the whole pot, spices and all, for at least 12 hours and up to 24.

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5. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing gently.

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6. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, tasting as you go — it should be sharp rather than sweet.

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7. Add the rum, if using, and bottle.

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8. Serve very cold over ice.

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Chef’s Tips

• The overnight cold steep is what separates this from a hot hibiscus tea. Do not shortcut it.
• Be generous with the ginger. It should have a proper burn at the back of the throat.
• Sweeten last, after chilling. Cold hides sugar and it is easy to overshoot when warm.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Black cake at Christmas
• Pastelles
• Ham, on Christmas morning

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 2 weeks; with rum in it, longer. It improves over the first three days as the spice settles.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.