By Food + Drink Contributor Sara Little
I’m a huge fan of bright summer cocktails, and rhubarb simple syrup adds great flavor to a ton of cocktails – for any taste. I’d literally never used rhubarb because it’s one of those “obscure” produce items that makes me feel slightly intimidated. But I randomly had a cocktail out recently that used rhubarb simple syrup, and it was so delicious that I jumped at the chance to finally experiment with it. The results were amazing. Here is a recipe for rhubarb simple syrup, along with recipes for three different drinks (one without alcohol, the other two cocktails) with it as a main ingredient.
Rhubarb Simple Syrup
1 c Sugar
1 c Water
3 Stalks of Rhubarb
Zest of 1 Orange
Cut the ends of the stalks of the rhubarb and slice into small pieces. Add the rhubarb, sugar, and water to a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Run the mixture through a sieve into a receptacle and discard the leftover fiber. The syrup you’ll get will be a vibrant hot pink and super sweet. You can make this in much larger batched, which I would recommend. All the drinks below require 1-2 ounces of simple syrup, so you can plan accordingly.
Rhubarb Sparkler
2 oz Rhubarb Simple Syrup
1/2 a Lime Squeezed
Sparkling Water
Pour over ice and garnish with a lime slice.
Jalapeño Rhubarb Margarita
1-2 oz Rhubarb Simple Syrup
2 oz Blanco Tequila
1 Jalapeño, Sliced
1 Lime Squeezed
Shake well, then pour over ice using a strainer. Garnish with a lime slice. (For more potent jalapeño flavor, divide your simple syrup batch into two batches before boiling, then add sliced jalapeño to one of the batches to boil.)
Rhubarb Fizz
2 oz Rhubarb Simple Syrup
2 oz Gin
1/2 Lemon Squeezed
Prosecco or Champagne
Shake with ice and pour into champagne glass. Top with Prosecco or Champagne and garnish with a lemon slice.
Enjoy! If you try any of these, please let us know what you think. – Sara
I know I’m not the only one with a watering mouth right now. I love that rhubarb is so huge these days, because it not only tastes amazing, it’s also really good for you (even in cocktails, I swear). Sara is an event planner and “expert in indulgence” who has lived in the heart of Sonoma County California’s wine country for 12 years. In addition to sharing her favorite foods and wines, recipes and more as our Food and Drink Contributor, she plans unique, personalized getaways to and events in wine country for her hospitality business, Wine Country Goodness, and travels the country in search of the best places to stay, explore, eat, and drink. You can also find Sara on her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
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