If you’ve ever strolled through a farmers market in early spring and spotted those long, ruby-red stalks next to the kale and ramps, you’ve already met one of the season’s most underrated cocktail ingredients: rhubarb. Tart, tangy, and wildly versatile, rhubarb is more than just a pie filler—it’s a home bartender’s dream for adding brightness and depth to springtime drinks.
What is rhubarb, really? Let’s get one thing straight: rhubarb is a vegetable masquerading as a fruit. A member of the buckwheat family, native to southern Siberia, it was used by ancient Chinese healers for medicinal purposes.
It gained popularity in the 1800s in sugar-laden desserts like pies, crisps, and compotes, which is why it came to be called pieplant. While it’s most famous for its starring role in desserts, rhubarb’s sharp acidity and vegetal complexity make it perfect for balancing sweetness in cocktails.
With rhubarb in your home bar lineup, your spring cocktails are about to get a whole lot zestier. When you’re perusing the farmers market and see those pink stalks, grab a bundle!
Why Rhubarb Belongs in Your Cocktail The flavor of rhubarb is somewhere between a green apple and lemon with a hint of earthy bitterness.
Rhubarb plays well with a wide range of spirits: gin, vodka, aquavit, bourbon, even mezcal. It can add zing to a spritz, zip to a Collins, or complexity to a sour. It’s a true team player—just waiting for your creative twist.
It shines in syrup form, where sugar tames its sharp edge while preserving its punchy character. This bright pink syrup adds both flavor and color to cocktails, making it ideal for Instagram-worthy sips. In under half an hour, you’ll have a tart syrup that keeps for weeks, and you’ll be able to concoct all sorts of pink springtime drinks.
Rhubarb Syrup
- Rinse and chop rhubarb stalks. If there are any leaves, remove them and discard them as they are poisonous.
- Combine 4 cups chopped rhubarb and 1 1/2 cups water in a medium-sized pot and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Skim off any foam that appears while simmering.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the liquid from the rhubarb. Compost or discard the rhubarb pulp.
- Combine the pink liquid and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a small pot and stir on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Transfer to a container, let cool, and refrigerate.
- Syrup will be kept in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.
Now for the cocktails! First up for our gin fans: put a springtime spin on a classic Tom Collins by combining our Portland Dry Gin 33 with your tart and tasty rhubarb syrup. Plus, who doesn’t love a pastel pink cocktail?
If you’re in the mood for a tropical cocktail, a Rhubarb Daiquiri, made with our Distiller’s Cut Rum is tart and refreshing, making it easy to pretend you're sunbathing poolside.
Looking for a gingery whiskey-based cocktail with a vernal vibe? Try this oh-so-tasty Rhubarb Buckaroo, a variation on a whiskey buck featuring 40 Acres Straight Rye Whiskey & Ginger Liqueur!
Pro Tips for Playing with Rhubarb
There are so many creative ways to use rhubarb it’s almost a shame the season is so short-lived. Get to the farmers markets and grab a couple bunches stat!
Only the stalks are edible—the leaves are toxic—so be sure to trim wisely before you get mixing.
After you clean and chop the stalks, keep some in the fridge for use now. Throw the rest in a ziploc bag and put in the freezer so you’ll have plenty when strawberry season comes around.
Mix and match flavors: Try infusing your syrup with ginger, vanilla, or cardamom.
Use the syrup in mocktails: Mix with soda water and a squeeze of citrus for a refreshing non-alcoholic option.
Think ahead: Freeze leftover syrup in ice cube trays for future drinks.
Rhubarb Ginger Mini Galettes
Looking for a seasonal treat to make for Easter Brunch? Our friend Liz Clements, pastry chef extraordinaire, is a true genius when it comes to boozy pastry recipes like these amazing Rhubarb & Ginger Mini Galettes.
Sweet custard, tart rhubarb, and zippy New Deal Ginger Liqueur make them a perfectly balanced, springtime pastry. Make a double batch so you’ll have leftovers for a quick grab-and-go breakfast, a snack to enjoy with afternoon coffee & tea or, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert!
Meet Liz Clements of Think Like A Baker
Spending the early years of her career at The French Laundry, Liz has an impressive resume and is so excited to share her decade of experience with home bakers in her new online baking community, Think Like a Baker. Liz loves to teach and has a lot to share!