Go Back
Two glasses of rhubarb sour with lemon slices floating in them
Print Recipe
5 / 2 votes

Rhubarb Sour

This rhubarb sour, a fresh take on the classic sour cocktail, calls for a delightful rhubarb syrup (which can be used for something like 101 different drinks), lemon juice, gin, and a twist.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 217

Ingredients

For the rhubarb syrup

  • 1 pound fresh or frozen rhubarb, chopped
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • Additional flavorings, such as a cinnamon stick, star anise, vanilla bean, citrus zest, cardamom pods, juniper berries, or freshly grated nutmeg

For the rhubarb sour

  • 3 ounces gin
  • 3 ounces rhubarb syrup
  • 1 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Ice, for shaking
  • Lemon slice or twist, (optional garnish)

Instructions

Make the rhubarb syrup

  • Place the rhubarb, sugar, water, and your choice of flavorings into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly so the mixture continues to boil gently for 15 to 25 minutes, or until it's reduced by nearly half. The rhubarb will break down and the liquid will get syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
  • When the syrup has cooled, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving both the syrup and the stringy rhubarb solids. Transfer the syrup to a storage container with a lid and stash it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. As for the strained rhubarb, it might look stringy and spent, but it's bursting with a sweet tart flavor that goes spectacularly atop yogurt, muesli, toast, and ice cream.

Make the rhubarb sour

  • Combine the gin, rhubarb syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into 2 small coupe glasses. Garnish with lemon, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g