Gin Rhubarb Cocktail
Inside: A simple, refreshing rhubarb cocktail recipe perfect for summer sipping. Part gin rickey and part gin fizz, this drink straddles the line between two classic gin cocktails.
This gin rhubarb cocktail is a crisp, refreshing summer drink perfect for sipping on warm summer evenings. With a lovely pink blush, sweet-tart botanical flavor and fizzy finish, it’s a flavorful gin drink you’ll love.
For this rhubarb cocktail, I took inspiration from two popular gin drinks: the gin rickey and gin fizz.
Gin Rickeys are made with gin, lime, club soda, or seltzer, with no added sweetness. A traditional gin fizz has gin, fresh citrus, simple syrup and club soda (with or without an egg white).
This gin rhubarb cocktail borrows a little from both–using gin, obviously, fresh lime juice (for the citrusy kick) and a rhubarb-flavored simple syrup with sparkling water or club soda for a refreshingly bubbly finish.
You would think that a cocktail that starts with a flavored simple syrup might be overly sweet or cloying. Not so here. The rhubarb syrup is a 1:2 ratio of sugar to water, and it’s steeped with tart rhubarb and a piece of ginger — which adds a zingy spice and gorgeous pink hue.
Why you’ll love this cocktail recipe:
- The rhubarb syrup can be made beforehand, so this gin drink can be a spur-of-the-moment cocktail.
- It’s got a fizzy finish, refreshing on a warm night.
- With only one ounce of gin, it’s not an overly boozy drink.
- You can make them by the glass or pitcher; no need for a cocktail shaker.
- Makes a great house cocktail for dinner parties.
Ingredients:
- Rhubarb Syrup – This simple syrup is a quick recipe made from fresh rhubarb, a slice of ginger, sugar and water. It can be made days ahead of time and kept in the fridge. It’s also good for making rhubarb lemonade.
- Gin – I used Bombay Sapphire, but it would also be nice Hendrick’s.
- Lime Juice – freshly squeezed will give your gin drink the best flavor.
- Sparkling Water – or club soda. I used Kirkland Brand lime “flavored” sparkling water to emphasize the citrus, but La Croix or Bubly sparkling water also works, and San Pellegrino or Perrier are good options.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Squeeze the limes for fresh lime juice. Each cocktail uses 1 ounce of lime juice, which can vary depending on how juicy your fruit is. I’ve found that one lime is usually sufficient for one drink.
2. Fill a Collins glass with ice. Measure one ounce of gin and add it to the cocktail glass.
3. Measure the rhubarb ginger simple syrup and add it to the glass.
4. Add the fresh lime juice and use a bar spoon to stir the ingredients until they’re combined.
5. Top with sparkling water or club soda.
5. Stir the drink again and garnish with a slice of lime or rhubarb stalk.
Pro-Tips:
- If your citrus is pulpy, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer before assembling the cocktail.
- Chill the ingredients before assembling for an icy, refreshing gin rhubarb cocktail that doesn’t melt the ice too quickly.
- When entertaining a party of more than 4-6 guests, I recommend setting up a Signature Cocktail station for guests to help themselves instead of having you tend the bar all night–
- Set up the bar station with the pre-mixed pitcher of chilled rhubarb cocktail, an ice bucket and tongs, glasses, cocktail napkins and garnishes, and a few bottles of iced sparkling water or club soda.
- Offer your guests a libation as they arrive and show them the bar so they can help themselves later.
Variations:
- Use other flavored simple syrups, such as Fresh Peach Syrup, Passion Fruit Syrup, Tropical Mango Syrup, Guava Simple Syrup or Prickly Pear Syrup.
- Add a few drops of bitters for more complexity.
- Swap out the gin for your favorite vodka or tequila.
- Garnish the gin and rhubarb cocktail with slices of lime, mint leaves or rhubarb spears or ribbons. To make a rhubarb ribbon, use a vegetable peeler to peel thin strips of rhubarb by running the peeler down the length. Fold the ribbons in a back-and-forth manner to create a frilly appearance. Secure with a toothpick or cocktail pick.
- Swap limes for lemons. Lemon juice is a bit more tart.
Make Ahead:
- Make the rhubarb simple syrup several days ahead to store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
- Assemble a pitcher of the gin cocktails by combining the gin, rhubarb syrup and lime juice in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate up to one day ahead. When you’re ready to serve, fill the Collins glasses with ice, fill them ⅔ full with the cocktail, top with chilled sparkling water and garnish. Note: Don’t add the sparkling water until you’re ready to serve the drinks; otherwise, the water will go flat.
Freezing:
- Freeze the rhubarb syrup in an ice cube tray and then put the ice in a freezer-safe zip-top bag to keep it frozen for months. Thus, you don’t need to wait until rhubarb season to enjoy this cocktail.
FAQs
Yes, this Gin French 75 swaps club soda with sparkling wine and this Cucumber Melon Cocktail with gin and champagne is better than a mimosa for brunch.
Rhubarb, with its tart flavor, can pair well with several spirits. It obviously is good with gin, but vodka and tequila blanco are also good choices. It could also pair well with white rum, but avoid whiskey and bourbon as the flavors would compete.
Simple gin drinks like this one are perfect for summer sipping and entertaining. Infusing it with its pale blush and sweet-tart botanical flavor makes it refreshingly different.
More spring and summer cocktails to try:
Rhubarb Gin Cocktail
INGREDIENTS:
FOR EACH RHUBARB COCKTAIL:
- 2 ounces rhubarb syrup
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 2 ounces sparkling water
GARNISHES (optional):
- stalk rhubarb
- slice lime
- slice ginger
FOR A PITCHER:
- 2½ cups rhubarb syrup
- 1¼ cups gin
- 1¼ cups lime juice
- 2½ cups sparkling water kept cold separately, to be added at the last minute.
DIRECTIONS:
FOR EACH RHUBARB COCKTAIL:
- Fill a cocktail glass with ice. Add 2 ounces rhubarb syrup, 1 ounce gin, 1 ounce lime juice and 2 ounces sparkling water Stir to combine and gild with desired garnishes such as stalk rhubarb, slice lime, slice ginger,
FOR A PITCHER:
- In a 64-ounce pitcher, combine 2½ cups rhubarb syrup, 1¼ cups gin, and 1¼ cups lime juice. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for several hours until cold. Refrigerate the sparkling water at the same time.To serve, fill a Collins glass with ice add 4 ounces (½ cup) of the cocktail mix to the glass and top each with 2 ounces of chilled sparkling water. Garnish.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
“Pin It” For Later!
I have lots of rhubarb in my garden. I made some strawberry rhubarb jam, ginger blue berry rhubarb pie. I’ll definitely give this ginger rhubarb drink a try. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Let me know how you like it, Joyce!
what a gorgeous drink! love this flavor combo
The rhubarb gives this cocktail such a gorgeous pale pink color!
Great drink to relax after a busy work day. I like that you added rhubarb syrup. I think it works great in cocktails.
It looks very refreshing and I love the vibrant color!
Thank you!
Woohoo! I have everything I need to make this beauty…even the rhubarb 🙂 I’m putting this on the list to make this weekend, Lisa. Yumm! Just pinned and can’t wait. Thanks for the great idea!