Naturally sweet, slightly floral, and wildly tart, hibiscus has become a hit on cocktail menus this spring. Bartenders love hibiscus because of its versatility and, most often, they use the calyx (which is the term for the sepals that protect buds and petals) of the flower to transform a variety of cocktails. A little botany 101: In most plants, the calyx is green; but in hibiscus, it’s a deep ruby red, which brightens up cocktails, giving them a hot-pink hue without any artificial dyes.
Flavor-wise, hibiscus can add tartness to a margarita, play well with mint or rosemary in an herbaceous gin cocktail, or, you can use hibiscus bitters to put a modern twist on an old fashioned, says Daisy Clark, bar manager of Hearth and Hill in Park City, Utah. It’s more layered than cranberry juice and more tart than most citruses.
Along with yuzu (a knobby fruit that’s tart and bright), Vitamin C-packed hibiscus landed on Whole Foods’ list of foods that are trending in 2022, with the sweet and tart profile making for the perfect flavor bomb in cocktails.
Ahead, a line up of hibiscus cocktail products you can buy, plus tips and tricks for achieving balance with this trending ingredient. Bartenders also share a few of their favorite hibiscus-centric cocktails you can make at home.
How to Add Hibiscus Into Your Cocktails
From adding a hibiscus liqueur to your bar cart to steeping hibiscus flowers for a homemade syrup, there are creative ways to introduce the flower to your cocktails. Here are a few fool-proof building blocks to help you perfect at-home hibiscus cocktails.
Courtesy image
1. Sorel Liqueur
While delicious, hibiscus is notoriously challenging as a single note, says Sorel’s founder Jackie Summers. “It’s more tart than most citrus fruits, and the way most people manage the acidity is by adding tons of sugar.” Sorel Liqueur, though, takes a different approach. It allows hibiscus to shine as part of an ensemble cast. There are the fruity, floral notes of hibiscus; bright pungency of cloves; warmth of cinnamon; and woody backbone of nutmeg. “This allows Sorel to highlight the notes of any base spirit,” he says. “You can bring out the floral notes in gin, the fruity tones of agaves, or the dulcet vanilla and caramel notes of whisky and rum.”
Known as the spice rack of the bar, bitters can infuse cocktails with botanicals. Just note a little goes a long way. This hibiscus bitters from Dashfire is tart and floral (but not in a perfumey way). Just a drop or two can add depth to classic cocktails like margaritas or the Jack Rose, a cocktail Ernest Hemingway famously wrote about that’s made with applejack, grenadine, and lemon or lime juice.
With sour hibiscus and bittersweet lavender, this nicely balanced syrup doubles down on flower power. It can be paired with vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and mezcal cocktails—or added to sparkling wines or seltzers. Add 1 tablespoon of syrup to a 4- to 5-ounce cocktail.
You can also create your own hibiscus syrup to keep on hand for cocktails. To do so, steep dried hibiscus in hot water then add in any other components you’d like orange peel, cinnamon, and allspice, says Chiyo Takemoto, beverage developer for West 32 Soju. Then, sweeten it to your liking with monk fruit or honey, he says.
Hibiscus Recipes
To prove its versatility, these bartender-approved hibiscus cocktail recipes use everything from tequila to whiskey to soju as their bases.
Shawn Campbell
1. Favorite Floral
“My favorite way to use it would be in a syrup,” says Christopher Norton, general manager of Reynard Social at Thompson Denver in Colorado. “With this approach I can tame and tailor its notes to work on a range of cocktail types.” His riff on a margarita uses hibiscus agave syrup and a dash of pineapple juice.
Ingredients:
2 oz reposado tequila
0.5 oz hibiscus agave syrup (2 parts agave; 1 part hibiscus flower steeped in water)
0.75 oz lime juice
0.25 oz pineapple juice
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake.
Strain and pour over a rocks glass with ice.
Optional: Garnish with a hibiscus flower and pineapple frond.
Xander Brown
2. Sorel Trinidad Sour
Typically, a Trinidad Sour calls for Angostura bitters. But in this twist, Eddie L. Avilla III of The Fishery in San Diego, uses Sorel Liqueur as a base.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Sorel Liqueur
0.5 oz Uncle Nearest 1884
0.75 oz orgeat
0.75 oz lemon juice
Instructions:
Add ingredients to a cocktail tin with ice and shake for 5 seconds.
Double strain into a martini glass.
Express an orange peel, twist it along the glass, and drape it on the edge.
Deer Path Inn
3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Served in a teacup, this vodka cocktail courtesy of Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, Illinois is topped with champagne and is perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch.
Ingredients:
2 oz vodka
0.5 oz hibiscus syrup
0.5 oz lemon juice
Top with champagne
Instructions:
In a mixing glass with ice, mix vodka, hibiscus syrup, and lemon juice.
Pour in a tea cup and top with champagne
West 32 Soju
4. Zobo in da Hausa
A grain-neutral spirit with an element of sweetness, soju is a low-proof “Korean vodka.” In this cocktail created by West 32 Soju, the spirit is mixed with Sorel and gets a mango-chili salt rim.
2 oz West 32 Soju
2 oz Sorel Liqueur
0.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
Optional: mango puree
Optional: chili salt
Instructions:
Add soju, Sorel Liqueur, and lime juice to a cocktail glass with ice and shake.
Optional: Create a rim that’s dipped in mango puree and rolled in chili salt
Pour cocktail over crushed ice.
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot
5. El Pavo Real
In New Orleans, Kimpton Hotel Fontenot’s Peacock Room serves a bright pink El Pavo Real and the hibiscus syrup brings tart tannins and subtle floral notes to the cocktail, says Jordan Deis, bar supervisor.
Ingredients:
2 oz blanco tequila
0.25 oz Ancho Reyes
0.75 lime juice
0.75 oz hibiscus syrup (the Peacock Room uses a housemade hibiscus and pomegranate syrup)
2 dashes angostura bitters
Instructions:
Add ingredients to a cocktail tin with ice and shake.
Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass.
Garnish with an edible flower.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
Courtesy image
1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
Marius Bugge
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Marius Bugge
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
Marius Bugge
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
