hibiscus-ginger iced tea

Last night, a small group of friends went out to eat. It was delicious - more on that later.

We all met up at my house, which was convenient for me, before driving on 38th street with the top down to fill ourselves up with injera and yummy bites of Ethiopian food. But first, we shared a little drink: hibiscus-ginger iced tea. The recipe, slightly adapted from Martha, is below.


Hibiscus-Ginger Iced Tea
serves 6

4 cups of water
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons of peeled, thinly sliced ginger root
4 heaping Tablespoons of dried hibiscus flowers or 5 hibiscus tea bags
Juice of 3 lemons (or more, to taste)
Agave nectar, in case you want more sweetness

Combine the water, sugar and ginger root. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the flowers or tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Combine with the lemon juice and chill. Taste and add more lemon or agave nectar to suit your taste. (Warning: I like a slightly less sweetened chilly drink than many and my adaptation reflects that preference.)

I served it with good, chilled vodka on the side, in case anyone wanted a little spike. (Thanks, Richard, for that nice bottle.)