Urbs In Horto Recipe

Make infusion

Bring 1 cup water to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and add 3 tbsp dried hibiscus petals. Steep for 8 minutes until deep magenta and tart. Strain petals through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof bowl, pressing to extract liquid. Cool the hibiscus tea to room temperature.

Combine with gin

Mix 6 fl oz Bluecoat Gin with the cooled hibiscus tea. Stir to combine. Transfer to a sealed bottle or jar and chill for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) to allow flavor integration. This yields hibiscus-infused gin; use 2 fl oz per cocktail.

Prepare glass

Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer, or fill it with ice and set aside while you mix the cocktail.

Shake

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 fl oz hibiscus-infused gin, 0.5 fl oz St-Germain, 0.75 fl oz fresh lemon juice, 0.25 fl oz simple syrup, and 2 tsp rose water. Fill the shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.

Double strain & serve

Discard ice from the chilled glass if used. Double-strain the shaken cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe to remove ice shards and any hibiscus bits. Smell the drink briefly to note the floral aromatics.

Float one dehydrated lemon wheel or thin fresh lemon slice on the surface. Gently place an edible hibiscus petal or candied rose petal atop the lemon. Optionally spray (one light spritz) the surface with an additional 1/4 tsp rose water if you want a more pronounced floral nose. Serve immediately.