Hibiscus syrup offers you a deliciously tart, floral, sweet, and vibrant flavor that will bring the taste of summer to you no matter the season!
It’s a great addition to your drinks, making for a wonderful twist in flavor and color. Plus, hibiscus syrup has a super versatile flavor, mixing great with things like thyme, mint, lavender, and more!
Now, if you want to get your hands on the best hibiscus syrup, you’re in luck! We’ve tested out a bunch of them, and have compiled this list of our favorite ones. That way, you don’t have to spend time and money figuring out which ones are good and which ones are bad!
Let’s check it out!
What is hibiscus syrup?
Hibiscus syrup is essentially a simple syrup with the floral, tart, sweet, and delicious flavor of hibiscus infused in it.
It’s usually made by combining dried hibiscus flowers, water, and sugar, and then boiling them together. You’ll sometimes find some brands add a bit of lemon or something similar for a little extra oomph!
How to use hibiscus syrup for flavoring
Hibiscus syrup boasts a vibrant color that’ll boost the look of your drinks, but its taste is what really levels them up!
It boasts that sweet, floral, tart flavor profile that’s perfect for adding a subtle and tangy zing to your cocktails, sodas, mocktails, and more! The beautiful red color will compliment the flavor in your margaritas, daiquiris, rum, lemonades, tea, soda water, punches – I could go on and on! Plus, it can be a unique twist in your coffee if you’re feeling creative!
Monin, which is a brand we’ll talk more about later, recommends adding about 2 tablespoons for most standard drinks. This will get you that great hibiscus flavor, but you might have to experiment with adding more or less until you get the flavor you desire!
You can also use it over top of waffles, pancakes, ice cream, etc. if you want to add a floral twist!
Top recipes for hibiscus syrup
Hibiscus syrup can be great in things like:
- Starbucks honey citrus mint tea: Hibiscus syrup is wonderful when paired with things like mint and citrus flavors. Adding some in this delicious tea will provide a hint of floral goodness, making it the perfect tea to grab a book with!
- Coconut milk vanilla bean ice cream: Now, hibiscus syrup is definitely geared more towards drinks, but pouring some over your ice cream – especially this delicious coconut vanilla one – will prove to add some unique twists and make for a refreshing dessert!
- Cinnamon tea: Take the warm, spicy, earthy flavor of cinnamon and mix it with the floral, sweet, and vibrant flavor of hibiscus syrup for a delicious tea! It gives you the best of both worlds, and adds a special touch!
How to choose the best hibiscus syrup
Hibiscus syrups should provide the best tastes with the best ingredients, so we’ve done a lot of research and also created this list of criteria:
- Ingredients: The best hibiscus syrup comes from the best ingredients – they need to be high-quality and with the least amount of artificial ingredients possible!
- Consumer feedback: What people who’ve used a product say about it gives us a deeper insight on what’s good or bad – we listen to more than just our personal experiences!
- Track record: It’s hard to build a good reputation, and so we take a closer look at each brand to ensure that they have their priorities set straight – which should be great products with no scandals, bad customer service, or lack of transparency!
- Price: From budget-friendly options to ones that’ll lighten your wallet a bit more, there are hibiscus syrups in all price-ranges!
Without further ado, let’s jump right into the rankings!
#1 Best Overall: Social Mixers
At the top spot we have the hibiscus syrup from Social Mixers!
This is a wonderful option, being completely organic and absolutely delicious! Social Mixers hibiscus syrup boasts a perfect balance of tart, floral, and sweet flavors, making it a perfect addition to anything you want!
Plus, there are no artificial ingredients or preservatives, making this the best organic hibiscus syrup you can get! And it’s not even the most expensive option on this list despite being organic – you can get this amazing syrup for just $1.87 per fluid ounce!
It’s worth every cent, give it a try!
Ingredients: Hibiscus Rosehip Infusion (Water, Organic Hibiscus Flowers, Organic Rosehips), Organic Cane Sugar, Citric Acid (non-GMO).
#2 Runner-Up: Monin
Second place goes to the amazing hibiscus syrup from Monin!
Monin is often found at the top of the food-chain when it comes to flavoring syrups, and their hibiscus syrup shows why! It’s a wonderful product, boasting a great blend of flavors that’ll add a splash of freshness and summer vibes to your drinks!
It’s also kosher, potentially making this a great choice for you. Plus, it only costs $0.56 per fluid ounce, making this one of the most budget-friendly options on this list!
You can’t go wrong with Monin!
Ingredients: Sugar, water, concentrated lemon juice, natural flavor, acidifier: E334, color: E163, natural tea flavor. Contains hibiscus extract. Fruit juice: 11%.
#3 Best For Cocktails: Pink House Alchemy
Pink House Alchemy has done it again!
These guys show how much attention to detail and passion a small business can provide, boasting an amazing hibiscus syrup that will perfectly pair with your cocktails! The floral, tart, and sweet flavor will make every cocktail a great experience for your tastebuds, and the beautiful red color will skyrocket the presentation!
It also boasts a 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is one of the best ratings on this list! Definitely give this one a try if you want to get your drink on!
Ingredients: Cane sugar, water, hibiscus flowers, rose petals, citric acid, malic acid.
#4 Best Keto: Jordan’s Skinny Mixes
If you need a keto-friendly hibiscus syrup, Jordan’s Skinny Mixes has got you covered!
The flavors are great, as it sparks a fresh and floral taste into whatever you add it to! Plus, it comes in at the amazing price of $0.55 per fluid ounce, just beating out number 2 on this list by a cent! You’ll enjoy a gluten-free, keto-friendly, and sugar-free experience here, as Jordan’s Skinny Mixes hibiscus syrup uses sucralose instead of sugar!
Ingredients: Water, citric acid, natural flavors, sucralose, xanthan gum, acesulfame potassium, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, FD&C yellow no. 6.
#5 Best Natural: Shaker & Spoon
Rounding out our top 5 is Shaker & Spoon!
These guys have created a delicious hibiscus syrup that’s perfect if you’re looking for the simplest and most natural variation. It contains just water, sugar, hibiscus flowers, and a touch of citric acid for a delicious blend of flavors – and it’s made from a small business, so you can support them by enjoying their tasty product!
Shaker & Spoon hibiscus syrup is made in Brooklyn with professional and unprofessional bartenders/mixologists in mind, as well as both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It’s sure to add a great flavor to whatever you pair it with, so give it a try!
Ingredients: Filtered water, cane sugar, hibiscus flowers, citric acid.
#6 Honorable Mention: 1883
1883 hibiscus syrup provides a tangy, floral, and bright flavor profile that reflects their dedication to making high-quality flavoring syrups for over 140 years!
Appropriately named, 1883 has been in the game since 1883, and is very popular – in fact, their hibiscus syrup is the most customer reviewed out of this entire list! Over 2000 reviews will tell you how well-received this one is, being a great choice that’ll get the job done!
Ingredients: CANE SUGAR, WATER, RED FRUIT JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE 13%, (CRANBERRY, ELDERBERRY, BLACKCURRANT) , ACIDIFIER : CITRIC ACID, NATURAL HIBISCUS FLAVOR, NATURAL FLAVOR, COLORS : ANTHOCYANINS, CARAMEL.
#7 Honorable Mention: Portland Syrups
Another appropriately named brand, Portland Syrups hibiscus syrup snags the number 7 spot!
Coming out of Oregon, USA, this hibiscus syrup is a unique one because it includes the tasty flavor from the spice cardamom. This gives the syrup a touch of spice and warmness, which actually mixes really well with the tangy and floral flavor of hibiscus! This can be hit-or-miss depending on whether or not you like cardamom, but we definitely recommend trying this one out if you want a fun twist in your hibiscus syrup!
Ingredients: Water, Organic Hibiscus, Rose Hip, Cardamom, Organic Cane Sugar, Citric Acid.
#8 Honorable Mention: Floral Elixir Co.
Last but not least, Floral Elixir Co. finishes up the list!
Their hibiscus syrup is quite good, and we like the simplicity in their ingredients. The taste is solid, and it’s overall a great choice! The main reason it’s so low on the list is because it’s the most expensive without providing any significant benefit over some of the other ones like number 1…
It costs $2.94 per fluid ounce, which isn’t super expensive, per se, but it’s quite a bit more than some of the other options – that said, it’s still a great choice that tastes awesome!
Ingredients: Pure cane sugar, filtered water, hand-pressed organic hibiscus flower petals, citric acid.
Others we reviewed
Hibiscus syrups, as you can see, come in many different shapes and sizes with different pros and cons. However, not all the ones we tested were able to get on the list…
Torani, which is a giant in the flavoring syrups world, simply didn’t make the cut because it uses too many artificial ingredients. We at Coconut Mama value natural ingredients, as those make for the best flavors (and are the best for our health). That said, it does taste good, but we don’t recommend it for its use of artificial ingredients.
Check out the ones in the list, however, as we’re sure you’ll find a hibiscus syrup you’ll love!
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