Hibiscus Margaritas are my new favourite drink thanks to a press trip I took to California, where I had one of the best meals of my life at Santo Mezcal in Santa Barbara. Check out the queso fundido below. Drool worthy right? By the time the trip was over, I knew I had to come home and recreate that fundido but also come up with a hibiscus margarita recipe of my own.
The margarita itself was a bright fuschia, a technicolour tequila dream, tart and floral, and it never tipped into tasting like a too sweet cocktail. Trust me, you can definitely sip a few of these over the course of the evening. I understood immediately why it was the drink getting ordered at every table around us.
Turns out it’s much easier to make at home than I expected. I keep a jar of hibiscus infused tequila in my fridge now for emergencies, and by emergencies I mean any random Wednesday night. This version works shaken or frozen, so pick your mood. Here’s how to make it.
How to Make Hibiscus Margaritas
Gather the goods. You’ll need a decent silver tequila (I like Hornitos), triple sec, agave syrup, dried hibiscus flowers and lime.
Pour tequila into a medium saucepan and heat slowly to a temperature of 160F. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, let the tequila get any hotter than that or else you could burn off alcohol, and then what’s the point of this whole exercise, am I right?
Once your tequila is at 160F, turn off heat and add a cup and a half of dried hibiscus flowers to the pot and cover. Let it steep for 15 minutes, then drain through a sieve into a large glass container. At this point, you can transfer and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Ooooh, that’s a good one. I crack me up sometimes because we all know this isn’t making it two weeks. Onwards.
Once your hibiscus tequila has cooled, add agave syrup, lime juice, and triple sec and shake, shake, shake over ice. Pour the strained drink into a glass and add a slice of lime.
Word to the wise, the hibiscus tequila stains, so I highly recommend avoiding white, and maybe even wearing an apron when making these.
If you’ve got a frozen drink machine on hand, this one blends up just as well as a frozen version.
A few things I’ve learned that make this hibiscus margarita recipe worth repeating:
- Use a thermometer, don’t eyeball the heat. Tequila that gets too hot loses alcohol and you’re left with a weaker drink for all that effort.
- Steep time matters more than flower quantity. If your colour looks pale after 15 minutes, let it go another 5 rather than dumping in more flowers.
- This one only gets better with a rest. Let the infused tequila sit in the fridge overnight before you mix your first pitcher, the flavour rounds out.
- Rim the glass with a bit of lime and coarse salt if you want a savoury contrast to the floral sweetness. Not traditional, but I’m not sorry about it.
Hibiscus Margaritas
Ingredients
- 2 cups silver tequila
- 1.5 cups dried hibiscus flowers
- 5 ounces triple sec
- 2 ounces agave syrup
- 4 limes juiced
Instructions
-
Pour tequila into a medium saucepan and heat to 160F using a thermometer.
-
Remove from heat and add hibiscus flowers, covering, and steep for 15 minutes.
-
Pour tequila mixture through sieve into heat proof container, and discard hibiscus flowers. Cool mixture completely in fridge.
-
Once cooled, add agave syrup, lime juice, and triple sec in a pitcher.
-
Pour over ice (you are your own liquor control board, how much you pour is up to you) and serve OR add to Margaritaville machine and blend.
Mezcal Swap
If you want to get a little closer to how I first had this drink at Santo Mezcal, swap the tequila for a decent reposado mezcal. Same method, same steep time, just a smokier finish underneath all that hibiscus.
I’ll be honest, it’s not for everyone. If you’re mezcal curious but not sure, start with a 50/50 blend of tequila and mezcal for your first batch. You’ll get the smoke without it taking over the whole drink.
Storage and Make Ahead
The infused tequila keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, though let’s be honest, it rarely lasts that long once people know it’s in there. Store it in a sealed glass container, away from light, and give it a shake before you pour.
Once mixed with the agave, lime, and triple sec, the finished margarita is best within a few days. The lime juice starts to lose its brightness after that, so I’d mix a fresh batch rather than stretch it out.
If you’re making this hibiscus margarita recipe ahead of time for a crowd, prep the infused tequila up to two weeks out, then mix the full batch the day you’re serving it. That way you get all the convenience without the flat, tired lime flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but you’ll need a lot more of them and the flavour will be milder. Dried hibiscus is concentrated and gives you a stronger colour and taste with less effort, so it’s what I’d stick with for this recipe.
Most grocery stores carry them in the bulk or tea aisle, or look for Jamaica flowers at a Latin market, hibiscus and Jamaica are the same thing. They’re also easy to find online if neither of those are close by.
Not quite. A regular margarita is just tequila, triple sec, and lime. This one adds a hibiscus infused tequila as the base, which brings a tart, floral note and that signature pink colour.
About the same as a standard margarita, since you’re using the same ratio of tequila to mixer. The hibiscus flavours it, it doesn’t water it down.
Yes. Steep the hibiscus flowers in water instead of tequila, then mix with the agave and lime as directed, and top with soda water. You’ll lose the tequila kick but keep the colour and tartness.
Updated August 2026 with a mezcal variation, make ahead tips, and answers to the questions I get asked most about this one.
Best Waterfalls in Hamilton You Can See in One Day
