Yesterday, I posted a recipe for the abundance of asparagus this time of year, and this recipe uses another abundant in season ingredient- rhubarb!
Rhubarb is really popular in my neck of the woods and I see it in breads, cobblers, cakes, jam and the ever popular strawberry-rhubarb pie. Recently I was at a restaurant that used rhubarb in a sangria, and I decided that I needed to make my own version of the cocktail. I am planning posting the cocktail tomorrow, but I wanted to give you my method for the syrup first.
I opted to follow a simple syrup ratio, but subbed in a little honey over the additional sugar. I like to get rhubarb that is bright in color because it gives a beautiful bright color. This syrup is perfect for summer drink and I enjoyed it with a bit of lemonade and vodka, in sangria and in plain sparkling water. The hone flavor is perfectly balanced with the tartness of the rhubarb.
Syrups are a lot of fun for boozy cocktails or a virgin drink. I love to keep them in my fridge to pull out for a unique drink, or to share with friends. Recently, I have made lavender syrup and cherry vanilla syrup. I have a lot of herbs growing in my garden and am going to try out a rosemary syrup and a basil syrup to experiment even more with garden fresh summer cocktails!
Tonight, I have volleyball and am heading there after work. My teammates are my co-workers and friends, and it is a blast playing with them every week. I have played bar league for almost 7 years and mainly co-ed. This is only my second time playing on a women's league and I actually like it a lot more than the co-ed. I have a blast with these ladies and look forward to our game each week.
Instructions
2 1/2 cup chopped fresh rhubarb (I like it to be dark pink)
2 Tbl honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup water
Instructions
In a small sauce pan whisk together sugar, honey and water. Bring to a simmer and allow sugar to dissolve. Add rhubarb and simmer about 3-5 minutes or until rhubarb breaks up. Remove from heat. Strain and allow syrup to cool. Once cool, store in the fridge in an airtight container.