This refreshing Jamaica Drink is made from dried roselle hibiscus flower and the vibrant red color and tart, tangy flavor make it a favorite among many. It’s served cold over ice with a bit of sugar or honey to balance out the tartness.

Three glasses with agua de jamaica drink garnished with mint on a wooden tray.
Agua De Jamaica is delicious and refreshing Mexican drink

Agua De Jamaica

Homemade agua de jamaica is easier to make than you think! A classic Mexican drink made with dried roselle hibiscus flowers infused in hot water. It’s just like making tea. 

Want to have something different but healthy to drink? Agua De Jamaica is a refreshing tea that is full of vitamin C, minerals and lot of invigorating flavor. It’s a family favorite!

Agua De Jamaica is one of the most popular Agua Frescas in Mexico just like Agua De Sandia, Agua De Pepino or Agua De Piña. It’s a crowd favorite that never disappoints.

What exactly is Jamaica?

The correct term for Jamaica in English is Roselle (en Español es rosa de Jamaica) – Hibiscus sabdariffa. The drink it’s not made out of those ornamental hibiscus plants like you see in the photos with the drinks.

Jamaica has many health benefits including lowering blood pressure, reduce levels of sugar and fats in blood, reduces inflammation and other amazing uses.

Close up image of a glass with Agua De Jamaica

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Ingredients

You only need two ingredients (not counting water) to make this traditional Agua de Jamaica drink: hibiscus petals & sugar.

Hibiscus Tea is a little tart and it requires sugar to make it easier to drink. However, you can use a natural sweetener if you’re trying to avoid sugar. To make 16 cups, you’ll need:

  • 2 cups dried Jamaica flowers also known as hibiscus or flor de Jamaica
  • 16 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar

Variations

  • When cooking your hibiscus petals, add spices like a cinnamon stick, a pinch of allspice or a little fresh ginger.
  • Add mint leaves to add more refreshing taste.
  • Once it’s cooked, add fresh lime juice for extra brightness.

Buying guide

Firstly, you can check out your regular grocery store. They may carry dried hibiscus flowers in the bulk section or in the tea aisle. Also try a Latin or Asian store since it’s very likely they will carry it.

If you prefer to shop online, you can find a wide variety of dried hibiscus flowers on websites like Amazon, Etsy, or any tea stores.

Regardless of where you decide to buy your dried hibiscus flowers, be sure to store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place to maintain their freshness and flavor.

Dried roselle flowers scattered on a blue background
Use dried Flor De Jamaica to make a delicious drink!

How to make this Jamaica Drink

Roselle flowers in a medium saucepan cooked in water.
  1. First, place to 2 cups of dried Jamaica and 8 cups of cold water in a medium pot.
  2. Bring the Jamaica & water to a soft boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Add the sugar at this point and stir well until all of the sugar is dissolved. NOTE: We want to make sure we do this process while Jamaica is still hot so that the sugar dissolves easily.
  4. Add the remaining of the water and let it cool & steep for at least 2 hours (I let mine sit overnight covered on my counter since I like it to have a strong flavor!)
Straining jamaica thru a strainer into a large jar.
  1. When ready, use a fine mesh strainer to remove the flowers from the liquid and pour into a large pitcher. Discard the petals.
  2. Taste for sugar and water and add more if necessary.
  3. That’s it! Keep in refrigerator until ready to use and serve over ice just like iced tea.
Agua De Jamaica in glasses and a jar outside in a garden


How to Store

  • Fridge: It should be stored in an airtight container, such as a glass jar or plastic bottle, and refrigerated immediately after it is made. The container should be tightly sealed to prevent air from entering, which can cause the juice to spoil more quickly.
  • Freezer: Use a freezer-safe container like a plastic jug. It’s important to leave some space at the top of the container as the juice will expand when it freezes.
  • Defrosting: When you’re ready to use the frozen drink, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can also thaw it at room temperature for a few hours.

Pairing suggestions

This Mexican agua fresca is one of the most popular and common drinks you’ll see at restaurants and street vendors along with Horchata. It goes with all kinds of Mexican recipes from tacos to antojitos. I hope you give it a try!

Health Benefits

Not only is Agua de Jamaica a refreshing and delicious beverage, but it also has several health benefits. For starters, hibiscus is known to lower blood pressure, making it an excellent choice for those looking to improve their cardiovascular health. It’s also high in antioxidants, which help protect against cell damage and inflammation.

Three glasses with Agua De Jamaica drink garnished with mint on a wooden tray.

I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact  me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana

Print Agua De Jamaica Recipe:

Close up image of a glass with Agua De Jamaica

Jamaica Drink (Jamaica Agua Fresca) Recipe

Servings 16 cups
Ana Frias
5 from 57 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
This Jamaica Drink is made from dried roselle hibiscus flower and the vibrant red color and tart, tangy flavor make it a favorite among many.
16 cups

Ingredients  

  • 2 cups dried jamaica flowers also known as hibiscus or flor de Jamaica
  • 16 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, place the 2 cups of dried Jamaica and 8 cups of water.
  • Over medium high heat, bring it to a soft boil for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add the sugar and stir well until all of the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add the remaining of the water and let it cool (I let mine sit overnight covered on my counter since I like it to have a strong flavor!)
  • Strain. Taste for sugar and water and add more if necessary.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve over ice.

Muy Delish Notes:

Storing
  • Keep in refrigerator in an air tight container until ready to use and serve over ice.
  • You can make a concentrate (without adding the last cups of water) and keep refrigerated for up to 1 month. 
No calorie sweeteners options
  • To keep the sugar intake low, just add stevia or truvia instead of sugar.
Good to know
  •  Agua De Jamaica is made from Hibiscus Sabdariffa

Add Your Own Private Notes

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Nutrition

Serving: 8oz | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Sodium: 5mg | Sugar: 12g

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.

Grow your own Roselle Hibiscus plant!!

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), is usually grown in tropical and subtropical areas (USDA zones 8-11). Roselle plant care is relatively easy! Last year I sowed my seeds in March and harvested the hibiscus calyxes around October/November. Just sow your seeds or plant your cuttings in sandy loam that receives full sun and water regularly.

The beauty is that it does not need much fertilizers but I fed it with fish emulsion at least once a month to keep it happy and healthy.

Tip: This plant does not like the cold but loves the heat! So if you need to protect heat sensitive plants, Roselle Hibiscus is a great plant to grow around them to protect from the blistering summer sun.

roselle flower plants in a garden

My plants from a few years ago! How gorgeous are they?

Cheers!

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Recipe Rating




39 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    As delicious, as it is beautiful. That this tea has such good health benefits is a super bonus. Thank you so much for sharing this!

  2. 5 stars
    I was so skeptical it wouldn’t taste like the mexican restaurant down the street but it does! Ty ty.ty!!!!!!! They charge 4 bucks for a large. I can get a ton more making it homeade!!!

  3. 5 stars
    This is my favourite drink anytime we go anywhere in the Caribbean. Love how tart the hibiscus flower is! Making it at home took me right back to my favourite holiday spots!

  4. 5 stars
    This is so refreshing and delicious! I’m sipping on it right now! I’ll definitely be making this all summer long!

  5. 5 stars
    I am very excited for this! Thank you so much for sharing! I gotta try this! gotta make this for the days I feel I want to try something different

  6. 5 stars
    One of my favorites! Such a beautiful drink. I especially love how easily it comes together with one two ingredients.

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe came out perfect. I love that the proportions are easy to remember – I just made it and now I never have to look up the measurements again. I’ve always tried to make agua de jamaica by “winging it” and it never came out right. Thanks for the perfect reciple.

  8. 5 stars
    I can hardly wait to make this tea. A favorite here in Bangkok is called Butterfly Pea tea! I was afraid to try but got hooked on it. Butterfly pea is a plant flower, too. Purple!
    Muy delish!

  9. 5 stars
    I absolutely love this drink! I made it today and it’s the perfect thing to keep you cool this summer! Thanks!!

  10. 5 stars
    I have never had this, but plan to make it soon. It’s got to be as delicious as it is beautiful!

  11. 5 stars
    My daughter and I prefer tea over soda and juice, so I made this with her a couple days ago. It’s now our new favorite drink and so refreshing! We’ll be making this all summer!

  12. 5 stars
    My Mexican wife turned me on to jamaica and so glad she did. Such a refreshing and flavorful drink. I wish more restaurants offered this as I get tired of having ice tea all the time and prefer not to drink soda.

  13. 5 stars
    There is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Orange California
    (The Green Door Cafe). They sell a lot of this but they add a touch of cinnamon! Delicious!

  14. 5 stars
    Hi Ana,

    I’m so glad you made this recipe, it’s one of my favorites aguas frescas! I have a question though, where do you find the hibiscus dried flower?
    Thanks,