Especiado Cocktail

A warming spiced cocktail featuring hibiscus, aromatic spices, and tequila or mezcal. This Mexican-inspired drink combines the floral notes of hibiscus with warming spices like cinnamon, star anise, and cloves for a complex and festive cocktail.

8 servings
5 hr 5 min

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 6 whole allspice berries
  • 2 sticks cinnamon sticks
  • 3 pods star anise
  • 12 ounces tequila or mezcal
  • 8 slices lemon
  • halved

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Bring hibiscus, brown sugar, rosemary, cloves, allspice berries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 star anise pods, and 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Cook until reduced by half, 50-60 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Chill hibiscus mixture until cold, at least 4 hours.

    300 min

  2. 2.

    Stir tequila into chilled hibiscus mixture and serve in rocks glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish each cocktail with a cinnamon stick, a star anise pod, and a lemon slice.

    5 min

  3. 3.

    Do Ahead: Hibiscus mixture can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.