Drunken Flower

Recently I had a fabulous champagne cocktail at The Gage, the Irish gastropub on Michigan Avenue opposite the ‘Bean.’ The drink had a hibiscus flower in it and I confess I ate the garnish once I drained my glass. (Quelle horreur, I know.)  The hibiscus was blood red and nicely sweet, with a tart edge. It's sort of like a fruit, so it has to be healthy, right?  (Never mind the champagne and sugar.)

Bars use the lovely version steeped in syrup pictured here, but Trader Joe's carries dried sweetened hibiscus flowers as an inexpensive alternative.  The texture is similar to that of an exotic gummy candy.  I’ve found that the dried flowers are splendid in green tea, adding a touch of fruit flavor and a hint of sweetness to balance out the bitterness of the tea. (Plus they look really cool and a little freakish, resembling some sort of small sea creature that one can pluck out of the mug and eat in front of one’s horrified coworkers.)