Sorrel, sometimes referred to as Caribbean sorrel, is the common name given to the sepals of the hibiscus plant. At Oyo, a South American restaurant and bar in downtown Pleasanton, chef-owner Maurice Dissels and his son and general manager Sam Dissels make a sorrel syrup that is mixed into tropical cocktails, including this twist on the caipirinha.
The recipe, made with pineapple, ginger, sugar and roasted aromatics, like black cardamom and star anise, takes four hours to make and involves steeping pounds of hibiscus. Don’t worry, the Dissels say, store-bought hibiscus syrup works just fine at home.
Oyo’s Hibiscus Caipirinha
Makes 1 cocktail
Ingredients
4 lime wedges
2 teaspoons raw demerara sugar
1 tablespoon hibiscus syrup (available at BevMo)
3 tablespoons Leblon Cachaça
Directions
Muddle lime and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add the rest of ingredients and ice. Shake and dump into a large rocks glass. Garnish with lime wedge and hibiscus flower or edible orchid.
— Courtesy of Sam Dissels, Oyo, Pleasanton
