Black raspberry & hibiscus gin sparkler

When it comes to winter, the Midwest in us shines bright. We'll take just about any excuse to spike hot chocolate, pile on the infinity scarves and stay in watching Harry Potter marathons. But this year, we're basically in a permanent state of early spring.

While wearing a light jacket instead of being buried in a puffy coat is nice, but has us wondering — is it okay to enjoy the warm winters of climate change? We've certainly got mixed feelings. But if we're going to be swallowed by the polar ice caps melting, at least we can have fruity cocktails while we float away?

When the alcohol delivery service Drizly approached us about developing a cocktail recipe for them, we jumped at the chance. We particularly fawned over their pink gin, a seriously impressive collection of rosé and all the mixers and syrups our hearts could desire.

Inspired by all the pink, we developed a bright, fresh cocktail perfect for spring using hibiscus tea and black raspberry liqueur (aka Chambord). Hibiscus tea has a gorgeous color, pairs beautifully with fruit flavors and is a low cost way to feel fancy. You can find hibiscus tea bags — or hibiscus blends — at most grocery stores. In fact, we recently spotted some for sale at Dunkin' Donuts. Maybe we'll have to try it with a box of Munkins next time we get hit with the craving!

makes one drink

YOU'LL NEED:

1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)
3/4 oz hibiscus simple syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best!)
3 oz club soda or plain seltzer

DO THIS:

Brew one cup of hibiscus tea, using one tea bag.
While the water is still hot, add one cup of sugar and stir until disolved. The leftover simple syrup can be saved in a sealed container for a few weeks.
Combine 1 1/2 oz of gin, 1 oz Chambord, 3/4 oz hibiscus simple syrup, 1/2 oz lemon juice and 3 ounces of club soda or plain seltzer into a glass over ice.
Garnish with lemon wedges. Cheers!