You're So Hip Recipe

Combine and steep

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water with 1 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 cup dried hibiscus petals and 1/4 cup dried rose hips. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes to extract color and flavor.

Cool and strain

Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture steep off the heat for 15–20 minutes to deepen flavor. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof container, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids.

Finish

Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to brighten the syrup. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Syrup keeps up to 2 weeks refrigerated.

Chill: If desired, chill a highball or Collins glass in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Build the cocktail: Fill the chilled glass with ice (about 1 cup). Add 2 oz J. Carver Lake House Vodka, 1/2 oz Triple Sec, 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice and 3/4 oz hibiscus & rose hip simple syrup.

Stir and top: Stir gently with a bar spoon 8–10 times to combine. Top with approximately 2 oz club soda (adjust to taste) to give effervescence.

Garnish and serve: Express a lemon wheel over the drink (squeeze to release oils), rim the glass with the peel if you like, and drop the wheel into the glass as garnish. Serve immediately with a straw or stirrer.

Notes on adjustments: Increase syrup to 1 oz for a sweeter, more floral drink; reduce to 1/2 oz for drier. Use chilled club soda for best temperature retention.