Cider Cocktail: The Young Buck

I spent the end part of last week communing with my archival friends at the Fall 2014 MARAC meeting in Baltimore.  There may have been some drinking.  Now that it's fall, there should be some warming cocktails on the menu.  Here's a list from BuzzFeed, and my favorite of that list below - though the Cranberry Apple Cider Cocktail was a very, very close second.

Cider Cocktail: Young Buck
About This Recipe Yield: 1
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Special equipment: pilsner glass

Ingredients
For the Hibiscus Simple Syrup:

• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1/4 ounce dried hibiscus flowers 

For the Cocktail:

• ice 
• 3 ounces ginger beer 
• 6 ounces semi-dry sparkling cider 
• 1 tablespoon hibiscus simple syrup
• dried hibiscus flower for garnish 

Procedures

1. To make the hibiscus simple syrup, combine the sugar, water, and hibiscus flowers in a small pan. Turn heat to medium and stir until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture has reduced slightly, five to seven minutes. Remove from heat, strain to remove hibiscus, and let cool. (Can be bottled and refrigerated up to 3 weeks.) 
2. To make the cocktail, fill a pilsner glass with ice. Add ginger beer to the glass. Slowly pour cider on top of ginger beer. There should be a nice separation between the ginger beer and the cider. Drizzle the hibiscus simple syrup on top of the cider. Garnish with a dried hibiscus flower and serve immediately.