The Story Behind The Strawberry Fields Forever
The appearance of thoughtfully made, non-alcoholic (or “no-proof”) cocktails on bar menus is an exciting, inclusive development. Jim Kearns, of NYC’s The Happiest Hour, created this booze-free long drink. We adapted his recipe for home bartenders.
Hibiscus and Strawberry Syrups Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried hibiscus flowers
- 2 ½ cups water, divided and at room temperature
- ½ pound strawberries, de-stemmed and quartered lengthwise
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar (preferably superfine)
Hibiscus and Strawberry Syrups Directions
- First, make hibiscus syrup. Put flowers in the bottom of a sauce pot or pitcher and top with 1 ½ cups of room temperature water. Leave them to infuse for at least six hours at room temperature (or overnight in a refrigerator).
- After your hibiscus water is fully infused, strain liquid into a fresh container and discard solids.
- Meanwhile, make the strawberry syrup. Put strawberries in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Strain strawberry-infused water into a clean pot. Discard solids and stir sugar into liquid until dissolved.