I can’t wait to share this Hibiscus Cocktail Recipe, a striking purple drink that marries floral hibiscus, bright pineapple, a subtle hint of mint and a splash of bourbon.

Jump to Recipe

I’ve been making cocktails for years and this Hibiscus Pineapple Bourbon Cocktail still stops me in my tracks. The mix of bourbon, a good mellow bottle, with bright hibiscus syrup gives a purple glow that reads like a small mystery, floral and sweet yet with a backbone you can feel.

I kept calling it a Hibiscus Cocktail Recipe in my notes, cause it was that kind of keeper, and it felt like something out of Tropical Whiskey Cocktails I pin for show offs. It draws questions, curious sips, a few guesses, and then someone always asks for the name.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Bourbon brings warm caramel and oak, mostly alcohol; tiny protein, mostly empty calories, smooth.
Hibiscus adds tart floral notes, gives vitamin C, antioxidants, lots of sugar for sweetness.
Pineapple juice is juicy, tropical, full of vitamin C and natural sugars, slightly fibrous.
Lime brings bright sour zip, low calories, vitamin C, cuts sweetness and lifts flavors.
Mint adds cool herbal aroma, tiny fiber, negligible calories, great freshness and aroma.
Club soda gives fizzy lift without sugar, adds bubbles but no real nutrients.
Ice chills and dilutes, no calories or nutrients, important for balance as it melts.

Ingredient Quantities

2 oz bourbon (a good, mellow bottle)

1 oz hibiscus syrup (or concentrate, add more if you like it sweeter)

1.5 oz fresh pineapple juice

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

Ice for shaking and serving

Small splash club soda, about 1 oz, optional for a little fizz

Pineapple wedge or lime wheel for garnish

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Chill a rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you like, or just fill it with ice so it stays cold while you mix.

2. In a shaker, place 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, and 1 oz hibiscus syrup; gently muddle the mint just enough to bruise it and release oils, dont pulverize it or it will get bitter.

3. Add 2 oz bourbon,
1.5 oz fresh pineapple juice, and a good scoop of ice to the shaker.

4. Shake hard for about 12 to 15 seconds until the shaker feels very cold, this helps chill and slightly dilute the drink.

5. Double-strain the mix into your chilled rocks glass over fresh ice using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch mint bits.

6. If you want a little fizz, top with about 1 oz club soda, gently stir once to combine.

7. Slap a mint sprig between your palms to wake up the aroma and garnish the drink with the sprig plus a pineapple wedge or lime wheel on the rim.

8. Taste, and if you want it sweeter add a splash more hibiscus syrup, or more lime if it needs brightness, then enjoy.

Equipment Needed

1. Chilled rocks glass or old fashioned glass, for serving
2. Cocktail shaker (Boston or cobbler style), for shaking the drink
3. Muddler or wooden spoon, to gently bruise the mint (dont pulverize it)
4. Jigger or measuring tool, for accurate pours (0.25 to 2 oz markings helpful)
5. Hawthorne strainer, to hold back ice when pouring
6. Fine mesh strainer, to double-strain out mint bits
7. Citrus juicer or handheld reamer, for fresh lime juice
8. Bar spoon plus small paring knife and cutting board, for stirring and cutting the pineapple wedge or lime wheel

FAQ

Q: Can I use bottled pineapple juice instead of fresh? A: Yes, you can. Fresh tastes brighter and fresher but good quality bottled juice works fine if you dont have fresh pineapple.

Q: How do I make hibiscus syrup at home? A: Simmer equal parts sugar and water with dried hibiscus for 5 to 10 minutes, let it steep until cool then strain. Start with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar and add 1/2 cup dried hibiscus as a guide.

Q: Can I make this ahead for a party? A: Yeah. Mix the bourbon, hibiscus syrup, pineapple and lime juices in advance and chill. Dont add ice or soda till serving and add fresh mint right before you serve for best aroma.

Q: How can I make it less sweet or more tart? A: Cut the hibiscus syrup a bit or add a little extra lime juice. Taste as you go, small changes make a big difference.

Q: Any tips for muddling mint so it doesnt get bitter? A: Dont crush it. Clap the leaves in your hands then press gently against the shaker or glass a couple times to release oils. Over-muddling makes it bitter.

Hibiscus Pineapple Bourbon Cocktail Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Bourbon: swap in rye whiskey for a spicier, drier kick, or use aged dark rum for a sweeter, molasses warmth that pairs great with pineapple.
Hibiscus syrup: use grenadine or pomegranate syrup for that tart red sweetness, or steep strong hibiscus tea and reduce it to a syrupy concentrate.
Fresh pineapple juice: canned 100 percent pineapple juice works fine if fresh is not available, or try pineapple puree thinned with a little water, or mango juice plus a squeeze of lime for a different tropical twist.
Fresh mint leaves: use fresh basil for an herbal, peppery swap, or a mint simple syrup or a couple drops of mint extract when you dont have fresh herbs just go easy so it does not overpower.

Pro Tips

1. Muddle the mint real gentle, dont mash it into bits or it’ll get bitter, bruise the leaves and if some stems are too woody just pick them out.
2. Start with a little less hibiscus syrup than you think you need, shake and taste then add more, syrups vary a lot so its easier to sweeten than to fix an over sweet drink.
3. Use a mellow bourbon and think about bigger ice for the glass, a single large cube will slow dilution so the drink stays balanced longer while you sip.
4. Double strain into fresh ice and slap the mint sprig right before you garnish to wake up the aroma, and if you want fizz add the soda slowly over a spoon so it doesnt go flat fast.

Hibiscus Pineapple Bourbon Cocktail Recipe

Recipe by Sam Ecclestone

0.0 from 0 votes

I can't wait to share this Hibiscus Cocktail Recipe, a striking purple drink that marries floral hibiscus, bright pineapple, a subtle hint of mint and a splash of bourbon.

Servings

servings

Calories

270

kcal

Equipment: 1. Chilled rocks glass or old fashioned glass, for serving
2. Cocktail shaker (Boston or cobbler style), for shaking the drink
3. Muddler or wooden spoon, to gently bruise the mint (dont pulverize it)
4. Jigger or measuring tool, for accurate pours (0.25 to 2 oz markings helpful)
5. Hawthorne strainer, to hold back ice when pouring
6. Fine mesh strainer, to double-strain out mint bits
7. Citrus juicer or handheld reamer, for fresh lime juice
8. Bar spoon plus small paring knife and cutting board, for stirring and cutting the pineapple wedge or lime wheel

Ingredients

2 oz bourbon (a good, mellow bottle)
1 oz hibiscus syrup (or concentrate, add more if you like it sweeter)
1.5 oz fresh pineapple juice
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
Ice for shaking and serving
Small splash club soda, about 1 oz, optional for a little fizz
Pineapple wedge or lime wheel for garnish

Directions

Chill a rocks glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you like, or just fill it with ice so it stays cold while you mix.
In a shaker, place 6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, and 1 oz hibiscus syrup; gently muddle the mint just enough to bruise it and release oils, dont pulverize it or it will get bitter.
Add 2 oz bourbon,
5 oz fresh pineapple juice, and a good scoop of ice to the shaker.
Shake hard for about 12 to 15 seconds until the shaker feels very cold, this helps chill and slightly dilute the drink.
Double-strain the mix into your chilled rocks glass over fresh ice using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch mint bits.
If you want a little fizz, top with about 1 oz club soda, gently stir once to combine.
Slap a mint sprig between your palms to wake up the aroma and garnish the drink with the sprig plus a pineapple wedge or lime wheel on the rim.
Taste, and if you want it sweeter add a splash more hibiscus syrup, or more lime if it needs brightness, then enjoy.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.