Chilled Hibiscus And Lime Cooler

Hibiscus makes one of the few infusions that is genuinely better cold than hot, and it needs no tea in it at all.

The two things that ruin it are boiling the flowers and steeping them too long, and both are easy to avoid.

Hibiscus turns astringent if it is boiled or steeped too long. Ten minutes off the heat gives color and acidity; twenty gives a drink that dries the mouth.

It tastes noticeably less sweet cold than it did warm, so sweeten it after chiling or slightly over-sweeten it before.