Phase: Stable phase, occasional. Fat free, but it carries natural fruit sugar, so treat it as a celebration drink rather than an everyday one.
Some occasions make a glass of water feel like a statement. A wedding toast. A long dinner. A room full of people with wine. This one is for those nights. It is deep red, it comes in a wine glass, and it carries itself like something serious. Nobody clocks that it is alcohol free unless you tell them.
Makes: 4 glasses (a small jug) · about 35 kcal a glass, no fat
Ingredients
- Hibiscus tea, 2 bags or 2 tbsp dried hibiscus, brewed in 250 ml / 1 cup hot water and cooled
- Pomegranate juice, 250 ml / 1 cup (100% juice, no added sugar)
- Lime, 1, juiced
- Sparkling or still water, 500 ml / 2 cups, chilled
- Ice
- Optional garnish: a thin lime slice or a sprig of mint (no pomegranate seeds: I take pomegranate as juice only)
Method
- Brew the hibiscus strong and let it cool completely. It should be tart and ruby coloured.
- In a jug, combine the cooled hibiscus, pomegranate juice and lime juice.
- Add ice and top with water. Stir gently.
- Pour into wine glasses. Add a lime slice to each.
Fat note: Fat free. Pomegranate and hibiscus carry natural sugars, so if blood sugar is a concern, lean on more water and less juice.
Safety note: Two worth knowing. Pomegranate juice can interact with some medications, including the blood thinner warfarin and certain statins and blood-pressure medicines, in a similar way to grapefruit. If you take any of those, check with your pharmacist before drinking pomegranate juice regularly, or swap in cranberry or a splash of cherry juice instead. Hibiscus can also gently lower blood pressure, so go easy if yours already runs low.
Stepan’s Rule: Pour it into a wine glass, not a tumbler. The glass does the social work. You get to relax and actually enjoy the evening.
Patient experience, not medical advice.
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