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Agua de jamaica is a sweet and refreshing iced tea made from dried hibiscus flowers. It’s one of the most popular Mexican aguas frescas!
If you’ve ever sipped on a vibrant, ruby-red drink at a Mexican restaurant and wondered what it was, chances are you were enjoying agua de jamaica!
This delicious and refreshing hibiscus tea is a staple Mexican agua fresca (it’s right up there with horchata and agua de tamarindo), loved for its tart, slightly sweet flavor and stunning color.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super simple to make. You only need 3 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this refreshing jamaica drink.
- Make it your way. You can easily adjust the sweetness to your liking as well as the potency of the hibiscus flavor.
- It’s a great alternative to sugary drinks. Swap out soda or artificially flavored drinks for a natural, flavorful option.
What Is Agua de Jamaica?
Agua de Jamaica (pronounced ha-MY-cah) is a hibiscus iced tea drink made from dried hibiscus flowers (or “Flor de Jamaica” in Spanish), water, and sugar.
The hibiscus tea is very tart and almost has a cranberry-like flavor, which is why it’s typically sweetened with sugar.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dried hibiscus flowers: You can find them at your local Hispanic grocery store or online. You can also use plain hibiscus tea bags if you’re in a pinch!
- Water: To dilute the hibiscus mixture and mellow out the tart and tangy flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and balances the tartness. You can also try other sweeteners like honey or agave if you prefer.
- Optional garnishes: Add mint leaves and lime wedges for a fresh taste or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon for more depth and warmth.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full instructions and ingredients, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Agua de Jamaica
Simmer 4 cups of water and the hibiscus flowers for 5 minutes, then let it cool for 5 more minutes.
Strain the mixture into a large pitcher and discard the hibiscus flowers.
Sweeten the drink by adding granulated sugar and stirring until it’s completely dissolved. Add in the remaining water to dilute the tea, give it a taste, and adjust the sweetness as needed.
Serve in tall glasses over ice and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- To make one cup of tea at a time: Follow steps 1-4 to make the hibiscus tea concentrate. Grab a drinking glass and fill it ⅓ of the way up with concentrate and another ⅓ of the way up with water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time until the sweetness is to your liking. Fill the cup with ice and enjoy. Store the remaining concentrate in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Hibiscus can stain, so be careful! Handle the warm hibiscus mixture carefully as it can stain, especially when pouring and straining the mixture. You can set down an old kitchen towel under the pitcher and wear an apron to protect your clothing.
- Adjust the flavor and sweetness. For a stronger hibiscus flavor, you can reduce the amount of water by 1-2 cups. You can also adjust the sweetness to your liking and use other sweeteners like honey, agave, or even piloncillo.
- Add freshness by stirring in mint leaves for a refreshing herb flavor or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Add warmth and depth by adding ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the pitcher or a sprinkle on an individual drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
Agua de jamaica is fruity, floral, and the perfect balance of sweetness from the sugar and tartness from the hibiscus flowers. It has a flavor profile similar to cranberry juice, but more mellow and refreshing.
Yes! Agua de jamaica is made from steeped hibiscus flowers and then strained, sweetened, and slightly diluted to your preference. It’s traditionally served cold for a refreshing taste, but you can enjoy it warm if you prefer.
You can find hibiscus flowers online or at your local Mexican grocery store.
Storage
Agua de jamaica can be stored in a large pitcher, mason jar, or airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze it in ice cube trays for up to 3 months!
More Refreshing Drinks
🌟 Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! I love hearing about your experience, and it also helps others. 🌟
Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Tea)
Ingredients
- 12 cups water
- 1 ½ cups dried hibiscus flowers
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Add 4 cups of water and the dried hibiscus flowers to a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Carefully pour the hot tea through a strainer or colander into a large pitcher that holds at least 12 cups. Discard the used hibiscus flowers.
- Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved, then add in the remaining 8 cups of cold water.
- Taste and add more sugar if desired. You can also dilute it with more water if it’s too strong. Some people like it super sweet, some like it super strong, it’s all personal preference.
- Serve in glasses over ice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- To make one cup of tea at a time: Follow steps 1-4 to make the hibiscus tea concentrate. Grab a drinking glass and fill it ⅓ of the way up with concentrate and another ⅓ of the way up with water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar at a time until the sweetness is to your liking. Fill the cup with ice and enjoy. Store the remaining concentrate in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in July 2019 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
Can’t wait to try the aguas! I think we still have some watermelon left.
Hi thanks for listing the nutritional value. I just bought a package and it lists no information all the way down.
My son always makes it for me when I go to Florida.
I am in New York and having hard time with this heat. So I’m gonna try it .
I made the agua de jamaica. Tasted just like what my Nana always gave us to drink when I was growing up. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
This was a beautifully written article. I happened to see dried jamaica sold at a Mexican market and couldn’t resist buying some. But when i got home, I realized I had no how to brew it. I am very glad I came across this post. I particularly like the explanations on various adjustments. Thank you!
In my 71 years on this planet I’ve drank this every summer of my life so far. I do make it a bit different as I like a bit of lime juice in mine. It’s also a excellent tonic and good for the liver I am told. The bruja who lived down the road told me so as a boy. It was sooooo good on a hot summer 110-115 summer day in the Imperial Valley.
Hi Juan! Thanks for sharing, we’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I have been enjoying Agua de Jamaica for several years since going to a Mexican restaurant where the proprietress gave me the recipe…bless her heart.
Hi Isabel,
I just tried your Agua de Jamaica and it’s delicious!. I just didn’t know here in Ameri ca we call it Hibiscus Tea until I followed your recipe. Growing up in Mexico until my teens Agua de Jamaica was one of my favorite summer drinks, so refreshing and thirst quenching as Limonada or Agua de Pepino. Well, I’m older now (62), and still enjoying such refreshing beverages.
Isabel, I also heard that drinking Agua de Jamaica helps me dissolve kidney stones so I’m gonna give it a shot okay?, I will also follow all of your recipes since chile runs in my blood like a true Mexican.
Keep cooking Isabel!
Gerardo
Hi Gerardo! Thanks for using our recipes. We’re glad you enjoyed our Agua de Jamaica. It’s one of our favorites!
Where can I get hibiscus flowers? I want to grow my own.
Hi Lauren! I’m not really sure. You might try your local nursery, or the landscaping section of your local home improvement store like Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Hi Isabel
I was looking for a Jamaica recipe and found your site. Do you think this can be made in a water infuser pitcher instead of boiling in water? Would you increase or decrease the hibiscus flowers for that?
Also you’ve got some other great recipes that I’m going to try. Carnitas and the Avocado salad will be first.
Thank you.
@isabeleats
I make Hibiscus tea every day. Since I am a diabetic, I do not add sugar, but I sub 1-2 cups of diet tonic water for 1 or 2 cups of water in the pitcher plus add a cinnamon stick and a half lemon or lime. Very refreshing! My friends always requests my Hibiscus tea when over for dinner.
Hi, when you say cup ?. What do you mean a small cup or glass size.
I need to drink it to help lower blood pressure.
Thanks
this is a nice basic concentrate. i’d recommend adding the sugar to taste while cooking the concentrate so the sugar can emulsify into the hot water. i’d also recommend serving with lime.