An easy 3-ingredient Mexican recipe you will make again and again. Homemade agua de jamaica is essentially a sweet iced tea made with dried hibiscus flowers and fresh lime juice. One of my favorite things to drink on a hot summer day.
{First posted December 27, 2013. Last updated with clearer instructions, new photos, and a video on January 18, 2024}
The drink you are looking at is Agua de Jamaica (pronounced ha-mike-a). It is similar in color and flavor to cranberry juice but more earthy and complex.
This popular agua fresca has a vibrant red color thanks to flor de jamaica or dried hibiscus flowers. Jamaica, hibiscus (or sorrel if you are in the Caribbean) has an acidic and tart flavor. It is the dried, burgundy-hued petals of the roselle plant or Hibiscus sabdariffa.
It has many health benefits, loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants and has been shown to help lower blood pressure.
Jamaica agua fresca (literally translated into jamaica water) is enjoyed all over Mexico and anywhere Mexican food is served. The flowers are steeped in hot fresh water, just like making hibiscus tea, and then strained out. Sugar is added and then the mixture is chilled. It’s that easy!
Tell Me About This Agua de Jamaica Recipe
- Flavor: Tart, a little fruity, and a little sweet. This delicious drink tastes especially refreshing served over plenty of ice. Absolutely perfect for a hot afternoon.
- Time: You don’t have to wait for the jamaica to steep for a long time. Takes about 10 minutes total time.
- Ease: Unlike many agua de jamaica recipes which has you prepare a jamaica concentrate or syrup first then add water later. This recipe is a simple three step process.
Ingredients To Make This Jamaica Drink
Don’t you just love a three-ingredient recipe? Of course you do!
- Flor de Jamaica (Hibiscus flowers) You can find the whole dried flowers at your local Latin grocery store. They are sold in bulk bags or bins for next to nothing. You can also buy them online of course, where they are remarkably more expensive. You don’t need to buy a whole ton, a little goes a long way.
- White sugar. If you would prefer to substitute agave syrup or honey start with 1/2 cup of either and add more to taste.
- Limes for a bright lime juice finish.
- Optional: Cinnamon Stick. Add a stick of canela or Ceylon cinnamon if you’d like. Or try other spices like a 3-4 pieces of allspice.
How To Make Agua de Jamaica (Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos)
step one
Clean the flowers. Have I mentioned how easy this recipe is? It is ridiculously easy. We are basically making tea. Before we get started however we want to clean the hibiscus flowers. Place the flor de jamaica in a strainer and rinse under cold water to remove any dirt.
step two
Boil. Add 12 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat.
step three
Steep. Add jamaica flowers and one cup sugar to the hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved then let steep for 10 minutes.
*CHEF’S TIP: Start with less sugar (like 1/2 cup) if you would like it less sweet then add more to taste.
step four
Strain. Pour hibiscus water through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof container. Stir in lime juice. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Let cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator until cold.
step five
Serve. Pour into a large pitcher and keep the agua fresca in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Serve with plenty of crushed ice and a lime wedge garnish.
*CHEF’S TIP: For a delicious beverage of the adult variety, add a shot of tequila to each glass as you serve it. 1 drink, 2 ways!
Storage and Such
This Jamaica drink will keep in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days (not like it will last that long).
This is a party-sized recipe. Obviously cut the recipe in half–or double it (!)–depending on how many you’ll be serving.
Other Aguas Frescas
If this is your first time trying agua de jamaica you should check out more aguas frescas recipes. They are refreshing non-alcoholic drinks popular in Mexico. Agua fresca can be made with everything from fruit juices to grains like rice or barley.
Some of our most popular aguas frescas are agua de tamarindo, made with fresh tamarind pods, authentic creamy horchata, agua de limón, made with whole blended limes, and rhubarb agua fresca.
Top 5 Most Popular Drink Recipes:
- Vegan Atole {Warm Cinnamon and Corn Drink}
- The Best Paloma Recipe
- Simple and Quick Champurrado
- Jugo Verde {Mexican Green Juice}
- Ponche Navideño {Mexican Mulled Fruit Punch}
Jamaica Water Is The Key To Summertime Fun
If you are going to have a signature drink this summer this Jamaica drink should definitely be it. Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Agua de Jamaica {Hibiscus Punch}
An easy 3-ingredient Mexican recipe you will make again and again. This Jamaica drink is essentially a sweet iced tea made with dried hibiscus flowers and fresh lime juice. Serve with plenty of ice!
Ingredients
- 3 quarts (12 cups) water
- 1 1/2 cups dried jamaica flowers, rinsed in cold water
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Boil. Bring water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Steep. Remove from heat and add jamaica flowers and sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved then let steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof container. Stir in lime juice and chill.
- Serve. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve over ice.
Notes
- To add some spice notes: Consider adding a cinnamon stick or a few allspice berries to the boiling water along with the hibiscus flowers and sugar.
- For a tart flavor: Adjust the amount of sugar and lime juice to suit your taste preferences.
- If you prefer a stronger hibiscus flavor: Increase the steeping time by an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Fun garnish idea: Feel free to garnish each glass with a slice of lime for an extra pop of citrus flavor.
- To make hot tea: Experiment with serving the agua de jamaica warm during colder months for a comforting, aromatic beverage.
- More variations: you can also infuse the agua de jamaica with other complementary flavors such as ginger, orange peel, or mint for a unique twist.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 30gProtein: 0g
In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!
aida mollenakmp says
Oh, I have such memories of us spiking this at our Fiesta photo shoot! Happy 2014, Kate!
Kate Ramos says
Happy New Year to you too!! Bottoms up!