Juneteenth’s Red Drink

Juneteenth was designated a federal public holiday in 2021, but it has been celebrated by many African-Americans for generations—especially those with Texas roots.

A fusion of the words June and nineteenth, Juneteenth is America’s second independence day commemorating the date when the last enslaved Black Americans were freed—over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln. 

While this executive order declared “that all persons held as slaves…shall be free,” many slave owners in Confederate states fled to Texas where the decree was not enforced, and took with them an enslaved population of over 150,000. On June 19, 1865, two months after the end of the Civil War, Union Army troops marched to Galveston, Texas to deliver the news that the war had ended and to issue a federal order declaring that all enslaved people were legally free. 

Juneteenth celebrations began with the newly emancipated Black community in Texas, and the festivities spread throughout the South and the rest of the country over the years. Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, is the oldest known observance marking the end of slavery in the United States. 

Eating and drinking are crucial to Juneteenth festivities, and red-hued fare features heavily in the celebratory menu. It wouldn’t be Juneteenth without “red drink,” the signature beverage that comes in many forms. 

We spoke with Atlanta-based bartender and Louisiana-Texas native, Tiffanie Barriere, about the origins of red drink and the meaningful cultural markers around her favorite holiday. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Red foods and drinks are traditionally served for Juneteenth and are considered a mandatory part of the celebration. What is the significance of the color red?

The red color is to identify and pay honor to the bloodshed along with [the] resilience the slaves endured before and after Emancipation. Red also symbolizes strength and joy.

Since there isn’t a specific recipe for the red drink and every celebrant has their own version of what that is, are there specific flavors or ingredients that are commonly part of the Juneteenth culinary tradition?

Red drink can come in many forms by using pomegranate, cranberry, cherry Kool-Aid, and even store-bought fruit punch. Hibiscus tea and sorrel is sipped in the elders’ homes or in more Caribbean-blended American homes.

Hibiscus is traditionally an ingredient that has been used in Juneteenth’s Red Drink. How is this botanical connected to Black heritage?

The legend has it that the hibiscus flower [was] transported from West Africa and is one of the few items carried over during slavery along with other heirlooms. Because Caribbean, Haitian, and African slaves [were] the population during slavery, we notice hibiscus tea flower, which is known as the Haitian flower, and sorrel recipes in the deep South in the mid- and late 1800s. Slaves found time to make and share the red drink amongst themselves during celebrations and church functions.

What was the red drink you remember as a kid?

Big K [soda] or hibiscus and ginger tea was and still is the go-to. My great aunt would add sherbert occasionally adding flavor and chill. Adding liquor was a choice and offered on the side table next to the punch bowl with fruit and citrus.

How has the red drink evolved through the years? Now that you are a professional drinks creator, educator, and historian, how has it evolved for you?

Honestly, these [last] few years I have seen the red drink change depending on where it’s being served. From strawberry flavors to frozen drinks, all the way to Aperol, I have noticed people [becoming] more focused on the drink being red to represent and bring presence to the holiday versus making it a must-have with hibiscus. I LOVE this because folks are celebrating and honoring and creating their own traditions for Juneteenth.

Tiffanie Barriere’s Hibiscus Tea Recipe 

Use whole, dried hibiscus flowers. If you can only find ones that have been cut and sifted, use the weight amount listed (1½ ounces), not the volume. This recipe can be doubled; to do so, use a Dutch oven or other large pot in step 2. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 1 1/2 ounces dried hibiscus flowers, whole (about 1 1/2 cups)  
• 6 (3-inch) strips orange zest 
• 6 (2-inch) strips lemon zest 
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 (½-inch) piece ginger, peel and sliced thin 
• 1 stick cinnamon stick
• 1 clove, whole
• 1 pod star anise
• 1/4 cup cane syrup, plus more to taste

Directions:

Combine water, hibiscus flowers, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and star anise in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and allow to steep until mixture is fragrant and flavors have melded about 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Transfer mixture to serving pitcher and allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. 

Stir 1/4 cup cane syrup; taste for sweetness and add more syrup, if desired. Serve over ice or use for a cocktail. (Tea can be refrigerated for up to 10 days).