Ingredients
- 4 cups hibiscus tea cooled (brew with 10 tea bags containing hibiscus flowers or ½ cup of loose dried hibiscus flowers, remove and strain)
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 4 cups pear juice
- 3 cups ginger ale
- 2 limes, sliced
- 1 orange (use peeler to make curls of orange peel, before squeezing for juice)
- 6 whole star anise, floating
- Ice cubes (add edible flowers)
- Suggested spirits (optional): 3 cups vodka or gin and 1 cup elderflower liqueur
- Garnish for bowl or glass: Sliced pear, curls of orange peel
Instructions
Happy Hibiscus Pear Punch
1. Prepare hibiscus tea and cool mixture.
2. Mix tea and all juices into a punch bowl. Add sliced fruit slices and floating anise to infuse additional flavor.
3. Cover and place in the fridge for several hours.
4. Right before guests arrive, uncover the bowl and pour in ginger ale and (and, if you choose, optional spirits).
5. Taste and adjust flavor balance, adding honey to sweeten if needed.
6. Add frozen edible flowers and ice cubes to punch bowl.
7. Serve punch with an elegant whole slice of pear or curl of orange peel.
About this recipe
Classic Old World punch recipes and proportions are remembered by some in the rhyme: “One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak”—blending juices, sugar, water, spirits and spices.
Edible Test Kitchen took a fresh approach to punch up the local flavor by using local, seasonal fruits and ingredients with invitingly eye-catching results. Read more about our Punch Revival here, and check out our other fresh party punch recipe, Sparkling Passion Fruit Kiwi Citrus Punch!