April marks a time of rebirth and fresh beginnings. Our recipe of the month is a fresh, sparkling celebration of spring and the beginning of rhubarb season. This Rhubarb Rickey balances the unique tart flavor of rhubarb with warm notes of vanilla bean and a complement of fresh lime juice. Trust us, it tastes as fun and refreshing as it looks!
Directions (Serves 1)
In a rocks glass filled with ice, add:
1.5 oz. gin (vodka works great, too)
1 oz. rhubarb-vanilla bean syrup
1 oz. fresh lime juice
Top with sparkling water
For the syrup, you will need:
4-6 fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped (the deepest red stalks make the most vibrant colored syrup!)
2 cups water
1.5 cups sugar
1-2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
Add rhubarb and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the rhubarb is soft.
Strain out the cooked fruit, add sugar and vanilla beans to the infused water, and simmer for around 10 minutes.
Cool the syrup and remove the vanilla bean pods before using in your cocktail.
Pro Tips:
A variation on Rhubarb Rickey that’s been very popular with our clients is to add fresh strawberries or raspberries. Just muddle four raspberries (or one sliced strawberry) in the bottom of the glass. Then add the ice and other ingredients, stirring lightly to incorporate the berries into the cocktail and add a vivid red color. You can also garnish the drink with a mint sprig or with a couple of raspberries on top.
There’s no need to use the highest quality of vanilla beans in this recipe because the heat extraction will get great flavor even out of Class B beans. Also, you can use your beans to make vanilla extract before reusing them for this simple syrup.
If you want to add a spectacular visual flair, garnish with thin, curled strips of candied rhubarb ribbons. You can find a good recipe for those here:
(https://unpeeledjournal.com/sweet-candied-rhubarb-ribbons/)
