Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa, locally called rosel or asam paya) grows abundantly across Malaysia. The deep-red calyces give a tart, slightly tannic flavour that pairs beautifully with gin's botanicals and lime's brightness. Made into a syrup and built into a spritz, roselle drinks like a tropical cousin to Aperol, with a more vegetal Southeast Asian character.

Ingredients

  • Roselle (hibiscus) syrup 30ml
  • Fresh lime juice 15ml
  • Gin (London Dry) or vodka 30ml
  • Cava or prosecco 90ml (cold)
  • Dried roselle flower and expressed lime peel to garnish
  • Plenty of ice

Method

  1. Fill a wine glass (large bowl) with plenty of ice.
  2. Add roselle syrup, fresh lime, and gin.
  3. Top with cold cava or prosecco.
  4. Stir gently with a barspoon to combine without losing carbonation.
  5. Garnish with a dried roselle flower and an expressed lime peel.

How to make roselle syrup

Fresh roselle calyces are available at wet markets (Pasar Borong Selayang, Pasar Pudu) in season (typically October to January). Dried roselle is available year-round at most Indian grocers and some Chinese herbal shops.

For 500ml of syrup:

  • Dried roselle calyces 60g (or fresh 200g)
  • Water 500ml
  • Sugar 400g
  • Optional: a stick of cinnamon, 4 cloves, a slice of ginger

Method: simmer roselle in water 15 minutes. Strain. Add sugar, dissolve over low heat. Cool. Bottle. Refrigerated, keeps 3 weeks.

The sparkling question

Cava (Spanish sparkling) is our default for this drink. The slight mineral and apple notes work with roselle's tartness, and the price is right for everyday spritzing.

Prosecco works but reads softer and fruitier. Champagne is overkill (and the toasty character fights the roselle).

For zero-proof: use NA sparkling wine (Lyre's Classico, Codorníu Cero) and skip the gin. Still excellent.

What it should taste like

Tart up front from the roselle and lime, gently sweet through the middle, dry on the finish from the sparkling wine. The colour should be a deep red-pink, ideally with a slight foam ring at the top from the cava. Drinks long and easy in a tropical climate.

Variations

Roselle Spritz NA (zero-proof): skip the gin. 30ml roselle syrup, 15ml lime, top with NA sparkling. The flavour profile holds up perfectly.

Roselle French 75: shake gin, lemon (not lime), and 10ml roselle syrup with ice. Strain into a flute. Top with cava. Less long, more elegant.

Roselle Negroni: Campari, sweet vermouth, gin (equal parts) + 5ml roselle syrup. Stirred over a large cube. Adds floral-tart depth to the Negroni.

Smoky Roselle: swap 15ml of gin for mezcal. The smoke layered over hibiscus is excellent.

Bunga Raya Spritz: use Malaysian-grown roselle from Selangor (Selangor Roselle Farm, Pasar Borong Selayang). Same drink, hyper-local sourcing story.

The Malaysian context

Roselle is one of the easiest local fruits to translate into Western-format cocktails. The flavour reads as "hibiscus" to non-Malaysian guests (familiar) but the local sourcing and the calyx-not-flower botanical detail makes it a Malaysian-coded drink. We pour several variations of roselle drinks across our two outlets.

Related

Frequently asked questions

What glass is the Roselle Spritz served in?

A large wine balloon filled with plenty of ice. The roselle syrup, lime, and gin go in first; the cava goes in last, stirred gently with a barspoon to combine without losing carbonation. A dried roselle flower and an expressed lime peel garnish. The wine balloon is the standard for any spritz; it holds enough ice to keep the drink cold over a long pour.

Can I substitute the roselle syrup in a Roselle Spritz?

Fresh roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa, locally called rosel or asam paya) is at Pasar Borong Selayang, Pasar Pudu, and most Indian grocers in dried form. The DIY syrup is straightforward: simmer 60g dried roselle in 500ml water 15 minutes, strain, dissolve 400g sugar, cool. Hibiscus tea syrup is the closest substitute. Cava is the default sparkling; prosecco reads softer, NA sparkling works for a zero-proof version.

How strong is the Roselle Spritz?

Around 8 to 10 percent ABV in the finished drink. The build is 30ml gin (around 40 percent) plus 90ml cava (around 11.5 percent) against 30ml roselle syrup and 15ml lime, over plenty of ice in a wine balloon. The ice dilution and the sparkling wine volume keep the alcohol load low. Designed for long, humid-afternoon drinking.

Where can I order a Roselle Spritz in PJ or KL?

This is a Malaysian-local house pour at Dissolved Solids in Damansara Kim, 43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Petaling Jaya. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 15:00 to 01:00. WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607. Also at Soluble Solids in SS2, 50-1 Jalan SS2/24. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 18:00 to 01:00. WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651. The roselle syrup is made in-house from Malaysian-grown calyces.

What food pairs with the Roselle Spritz?

Malaysian local food. Rojak, kerabu, nasi kerabu, satay, popiah. The tart hibiscus mirrors the asam tones already in Malaysian salads. Also strong with Vietnamese fresh rolls, Thai larb, ceviche, and grilled seafood. The dryness and acidity cut through santan-heavy dishes (laksa, curry mee) better than sweet sodas. The drink is light enough to handle long sessions through dinner.