It was Memorial Day during a pandemic….so what better to do than start making a home made rhubarb cordial that would be just about ready by mid-summer!

It took about 3 days of shaking once a day for the sugar to stop settling on the bottom of the jars. At the same time, the liquid is becoming a vibrant pink. At day 4, it’s no where near being done, but I’m starting to get excited thinking about … “What kind of cocktails will I be able to make with this?”

The only thing that this recipe needs is time. The preparation almost couldn’t be any easier. Clean, chop, peel, pour and strain…that is all there is to it.

The only small downside is that two infused quarts only equals one quart of Cordial. Kind of sad that for all that time passes to create this tasty treat, it could easily be gone with only one or two night of entertaining. Next time, if I have enough rhubarb and gin, I will make a larger batch.

I used New Amsterdam gin for the infusion. I find that both their gin and vodka are smooth and make great bases for mixed cocktails…not to mention, they are quite affordable. What you get with this finished cordial is a smooth combination of slightly sweet rhubarb flavor instantly tampered by the dry gin finish. Ok to drink chilled by itself or mixed in a variety of cocktails.

By the time July had rolled around, it had been a hot summer. There is not much that sounds better than creating a fun cocktail to enjoy with an equally fun dinner, all the while feeling the summer breeze. That is what happened on one of the cooler nights this month. I grabbed a handful of fixable ingredients, made some simple syrup and started experimenting.

Experimenting can be so fun with this, but it used a good chunk of the cordial….thus, batch number two is in process already.

Cocktail Ideas:

1. Sweet Cordial & Club Soda – 2 oz Cordial and 3/4 oz simple syrup over ice in a lowball glass. Stir, fill to top with ice, and top with club soda or tonic. Garnish with mint leaves.
2. Rhubarb Cordial Old Fashioned – 1 1/2 oz Cordial, 1 oz Amaro, 1/2 oz simple syrup. Stir in lowball with fun ice cubes and garnish with orange peel.
3. Rhubarb Cordial Martini – 2 1/2 oz Cordial, 3/4 oz Orgeat, 4 dashes orange bitters. Shake in shaker for 30 seconds and serve in martini glass with orange peel curl.

Rhubarb Cordial

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups gin
• 4 Tbls grand marnier
• 6 orange peels
• 1- 2 quart container or 2- 1 quart containers

Preparation:

Clean and dice rhubarb into equal sizes and peel 6 large strips of orange peel. Place all contents in sealable container, seal and shake contents, and store in a dark cool place. If using 2 containers, split ingredients equally.

Shake containers once per day. Cordial will be ready in 1 month. Serve on ice, in one of the cocktails above, or with sparkling water. Garnish with orange rind.

Happy Cocktailing!!!

*Recipe adaptation of multiple online recipes. All cocktails Experimental Spoon originals.