This refreshing drink is a beautiful red–perfect for a holiday punch and well worth the effort.  Gathering the herbs is a prerequisite step but we encourage people to have these beneficial dried herbs on hand and ordering from Frontier Coop  makes this easy and likely less expensive than buying tea bags.  Many of the herbs I use the most I order from them–they are available organically grown and in bulk if you want to order a whole pound.

I posted a “mocktail” recipe recently which I have changed to incorporate some more health-promoting herbs perfect for winter immune system support–the hibiscus is good circulatory support and makes the punch red.  Also, I changed the way to make the ginger extract.  Try this out–the blender extract method used here is quicker and tastes stronger.  The ginger gives this drink a “kick”–really warms the tummy kind of like alcohol!  You may want to dilute it if the ginger is too strong for you.

Serves 4

Make the tea first:

1 Tbsp. dried hibiscus flowers (available in bulk section of health food stores, or Frontier Coop website–I get a 1 pound bag)

1 Tbsp. dried holy basil leaves (known as tulsi tea also, available at health food stores, or Frontier Coop website–I grow and dry my own)

1 tsp. licorice root (optional)

1 Tbsp. dried lemon balm

Place herbs in a glass quart mason jar with a spoon to prevent the jar from cracking when you add the boiling water.  Add 1 and 1/4 cups of boiling water for the concentrated tea if you are using selter water in the recipe below or 4 cups of boiling water if you are not using seltzer water.  Cap the jar and let steep until cool.  Strain and discard the herbs.

Now make the mocktail:

1 piece of fresh organic ginger root, about 1″ diameter and 3″ long

1 cup of hibiscus tea blend (see recipe above)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. maple syrup or more to taste or some monk fruit extract to add sweetness to your taste

3 additional cups of hibiscus tea blend or plain seltzer water if you prefer a carbonated drink (If you choose the seltzer water be sure to make the tea for extracting the ginger concentrated by using less water to make the tea.)

Slice the ginger into thin rounds after washing the root.  Place in a blender container.  Add 1 cup of the tea blend.  Blend very well.  Strain and discard the ginger pulp after squeezing the last of the extract out of it.  Pour the ginger juice into a pitcher or glass jar.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Taste and correct sweetness or dilute more if desired.  If you used seltzer water, serve cold immediately with lemon slices (optional).  If you didn’t use seltzer water, the drink will keep in the fridge for a few days and you may want to warm the drink slightly on low heat (don’t boil and remove from heat before it simmers) for a greater warming effect–but the ginger is certainly warming all by itself!  Enjoy!