Hibiscus Soda
Recipe updated June 1, 2025Tastes like a sharp splash of cranberry, bright and tangy with just enough bite to wake up your palate. The tartness quickly softens into smooth floral notes — hints of rose, red berries, and dried fruit. It’s fizzy but not aggressive, lifting the flavors without overpowering them. The finish is clean and slightly astringent, making it feel more like a sparkling infusion than a soda. Bold in color and taste, it’s refreshing without being sugary — crisp, cooling, and a little wild.
Fermentation depends on many factors — the health of your ginger bug, room temperature, humidity, and the sugars you use. Every batch can behave a little differently, so stay observant and adjust as needed. If you see fuzzy mold on the surface, or if the drink smells rotten, yeasty in a bad way, or otherwise unpleasant, it is safest to discard it — do not taste it. Clean all tools thoroughly before starting a new batch.
Time required
5 min prep, 10 min brewing, 4 hours for cooling, plus 4–6 days fermentation until it reaches your desired taste. This doesn’t include the time to make the ginger bug starter.
Measurement system
Expected yield 3.0 liters
Ingredients
- 200 ml ginger bug
- 14 g dried loose-leaf hibiscus
- 2.8 liters filtered water
- 120 g refined sugar
Equipment
- Fine nylon mesh sieve (200+ micron)
- Glass jar with airlock
- Stainless pot
- Flip-top bottles
Steps
Clean your equipment
Wash your jar, tools, and hands thoroughly to keep unwanted microbes out.
Add filtered water to a stainless pot and bring to boil
Use filtered or dechlorinated water — tap water may contain chemicals that can weaken or kill the culture.
Add sugar and hibiscus to the boiling water, then turn off the heat
Stir to dissolve the sugar fully. The hibiscus adds tartness and color while the sugar fuels fermentation.
Let the sweet tea steep for 10 minutes, then strain
Remove the hibiscus petals to prevent overbrewing, which can make the tea bitter.
Add strained ginger bug once the tea cools to room temperature
Pour in your active ginger bug starter through a fine strainer to remove pulp and solids. This keeps the drink clearer and reduces mold risk. Make sure the tea is fully cooled — hot liquid will kill the live cultures and halt fermentation.
Transfer to a jar with an airlock
Pour the cooled mixture into a clean jar fitted with an airlock. If you don’t have one, a cloth cover secured with a rubber band also works — just keep solids out and the jar clean.
Let ferment at room temperature for 3 days, checking daily
Keep the jar at room temp. Check it each day for bubbles, aroma, and signs of activity. The ginger bug should create light fizz and a tangy smell.
Bottle the fermented tea in airtight bottles
Transfer to flip-top bottles to trap CO₂. This second fermentation builds natural carbonation from any leftover sugar.
Let bottles sit at room temperature, releasing pressure daily
Leave bottles out for 1–2 days to carbonate. Open them once a day to release pressure and avoid over-carbonation. The longer they sit, the drier and fizzier the drink becomes. If left unrefrigerated, fermentation continues — monitor fizz and flavor closely.
Refrigerate once carbonation is strong enough
Chill the bottles to slow fermentation and reduce the risk of overflow or bottle bursting.
Consume within 2 weeks
Drink within two weeks for best flavor and fizz. Over time, the drink may become more sour and more carbonated. Most hibiscus sodas made this way stay under 1% alcohol, especially when refrigerated — but extended room-temp fermentation can increase that slightly.