I drink seltzer year-round (apologies to my teeth). But right around the time we hit spring, I start to crave something with more oomph. And so begins my annual lap through the inevitable wave of new sparkling releases. This year, an early contender won me right over. Ruby, a recent brand of organic hibiscus drinks, expanded their lineup this week with three sparkling cans, including the perfect Sparkling Hibiscus Concord Grape.
Combining the tart, acidic, lip-smacking flavor of hibiscus—used globally to prepare a hot or cold tea commonly known as agua de jamaica in North, Central, and South America; sorrel in the Caribbean; jus de bissap in West Africa; and karkadé in North Africa—with the deep, complex sweetness of concord grape, Ruby Sparkling Hibiscus Concord Grape delivers thirst-quenching harmony. The company sources its hibiscus from a Burkina Faso farm. It then brews the dried leaves at ambient temperature to capture a less astringent profile. When carbonated and combined with concord grape concentrate, the result is a creamy, juicy soda-style refresher sans added sugar. $34.99/12 cans, ruby.fun
