So a lot of food blogs are highlighting Mothers Day with beautiful posts featuring the top 10 best scone and egg casserole recipes. I’m not saying moms don’t love a good brunch, but I think sometimes the relief of a stiff drink and the opportunity to watch The Great British Baking Show alone in your sweats is a pretty close second. So here at Butter & Air, we’re making cocktails. I’m pouring you a Vodka Hibiscus Kombucha Cooler, ready or not.
Plus, today is my birthday! It’s a big one (don’t ask, I’m not telling) (okay fine I’m turning 50). Yay!
I celebrated this milestone in part by booking a yoga retreat in Belize with my best friend and the magical Margo Lightburn (best retreat leader EVER). It was a transformative experience – challenging, heart-opening, and fun – that was further enhanced by our daily consumption of the resort’s signature cocktail, a hibiscus margarita. After ample time spent testing them, I decided I wanted to try to create a version with vodka.
For the hibiscus tea base, I used Tazo Passion iced tea, which is a mix of hibiscus, passion fruit, and lemongrass. Good stuff. A splash of fresh lime. A little homemade simple syrup to balance all that the tartness. And a healthy pour of kombucha for fizz.
If you’re not a fan of kombucha, any fizzy topper will do. Have fun playing with flavors: I’ve tried it with blackberry Izze soda, tropical Italian soda, and plain seltzer, and they were all delicious (although I don’t recommend testing them all in succession – please experiment responsibly!). And obviously, this can easily be made alcohol-free by omitting the vodka.
This cocktail embodies many of the characteristics I’d like to cultivate as I head into my sixth decade. Slightly unusual. Sweet, but not cloying, with a good balancing dose of tartness. Strong, but not aggressively so. Healthy (kombucha is good for you, right?). And most of all, joy-inducing (in moderation, because you can’t have joy all the time).
So there’s your weekend cocktail, solved. Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day, a birthday, or just wanting to feel beachy, I hope you find a little bit of joy. Cheers to that.
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Vodka Hibiscus Kombucha Cooler
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
Get beachy with a refreshing fruity Vodka Hibiscus Kombucha Cooler, a perfectly balanced blend of sweet, tart, and fizzy.
Ingredients
4 oz hibiscus tea, cooled
1 oz TB simple syrup
2 oz vodka
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
2 oz kombucha (I use guava flavor), or other fizzy fruit drink
Instructions
To make the simple syrup, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using.
Combine hibiscus tea, simple syrup, vodka, and lime juice. Stir, pour into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice, and top with kombucha or other fizzy topper. Garnish with a lime wedge and edible flowers, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
… this can easily be scaled up to be made in larger batches; if you are filling a pitcher or other vessel, simply combine the kombucha with the other ingredients.
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