Food and Recipes Recipes Tarragon-Hibiscus Gin Spritzer Be the first to rate & review! No one else in the neighborhood will be serving this signature cocktail. By Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer who's been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on May 19, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Active Time: 10 mins Steep Time: 10 mins Cool Time: 10 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe In our humble opinion, tarragon is one of the most underrated herbs. It's not too obscure (you'll likely find it at your local grocery store) and it has a completely distinct flavor profile, differentiating it from all the other herbs in the aisle. With a licorice-like flavor, tarragon adds complexity to a whole slew of dishes—you'll find tarragon starring in our Tarragon Chicken Salad, for example. The latest way that we're making use of this under-appreciated herb? In a cocktail, of course. Our Tarragon-Hibiscus Gin Spritzer is the utterly unique drink that will become your summer signature. Tarragon brings that "can't-quite-put-a-finger-on-it" flavor to this light, fizzy drink that we could sip all day long. The herb has a slight anise flavor, which shines in a sparkling cocktail made with citrusy hibiscus tea, tonic water, and gin. The natural, herbal flavor of the gin pairs beautifully with the hibiscus and tarragon, but the tea mixture is also refreshing on its own without alcohol. Not too tart or sweet, this cocktail strikes just the right balance; as an added bonus, the hibiscus syrup lends these drinks a beautiful light pink hue. This recipe is easy to scale up to cater to a crowd. Ingredients ½ cup granulated sugar ½ ounce tarragon sprigs, plus more for garnish 2 regular-size hibiscus tea bags (such as Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger) 1 ½ cups tonic water ¾ cup (6 oz.) gin ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) Ice cubes Lemon slices, for garnish Directions Place ½ cup water and sugar in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add tarragon and tea bags. Let steep 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, and discard solids. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Stir together tonic water, gin, lemon juice, and ¼ cup strained hibiscus mixture in a pitcher. Taste spritzer, and if desired, add more hibiscus mixture until desired sweetness. (Remaining hibiscus mixture can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.) Fill 4 glasses with ice. Pour gin mixture evenly into glasses. Garnish with additional tarragon sprigs and lemon slices. Rate it Print