Rhubarb season is short and this refreshing rhubarb vodka cocktail shouldn’t be missed! Quick and easy to make, the Rhubarb Pie cocktail will become a spring favorite!
This recipe was originally shared in June 2011 and has been updated in May 2018.
As I have been prowling the Boulder Locavore Recipe Archives for rhubarb recipes (I buy it like a hoarder whenever it comes into season) I landed on a cocktail staple: Rhubarb Pie Cocktail. It may be what made me fall in love with rhubarb in the first place!
I’ve dusted it off and am sharing it today thinking the cocktailers amongst you will love it too!
The Origin of the Rhubarb Pie cocktail
Soon after I started Boulder Locavore, when I was in full discovery mode of local food producers, two girlfriends bought me a bottle of Altitude Spirits Vodka 14. It’s a locally made vodka and USDA certified organic.
It gave me a prompt to contact the company to learn more and they provided the original recipe for Rhubarb Pie cocktail. The recipe has since been iterated but it remains a favorite refreshing spring cocktail.
What Does this Rhubarb Vodka Cocktail Taste Like?
This rhubarb vodka cocktail is made from sweetened rhubarb juice from homemade rhubarb puree, and vodka. It’s very simple. The rhubarb vodka cocktail is light and refreshing, with the flavor of slightly sweetened rhubarb; lightly tart and tangy.
The cocktail glass is rimmed with sugar and a bit of cinnamon giving it extra sweetness but not too much!
How to Make the Rhubarb Pie Cocktail – An Easy Rhubarb Vodka Cocktail
Much like the recent Rhubarb Fool recipe, fresh rhubarb is cooked briefly with sugar and a bit of water. It breaks down into a puree which is strained to release the sweetened juice. It’s this juice that’s used to flavor the rhubarb vodka cocktail.
An ounce of the rhubarb puree is shaken in a cocktail shaker with two ounces of vodka. It’s poured over ice and topped off with club soda for a refreshing fizz.
The rhubarb vodka cocktail is very thirst quenching and a fun way to use fresh rhubarb during its short season.
How to Use the Rhubarb Pulp
The cocktail recipe is all about harvesting the sweetened juice for the cocktail and does not use the pulp.
You can use the pulp in Rhubarb Fool, eat it over yogurt (plain or strawberry), or ice cream. Fold it into muffin mix. It’s a shame to let it go to waste with rhubarb season being so short!
Make it a Rhubarb Pie Mocktail!
To make a version without vodka, follow the instructions to make the rhubarb puree and extract the juice. Pour 1-2 ounces of the juice into a glass filled with ice and top with sparkling water or club soda (stir too)!
Suggested Supplies for Making Rhubarb Pie cocktail:
- Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Medium Saucepan
- Strainer
- Small mixing bowl
- Silicon Spatula (for pushing the rhubarb pulp against the strainer to release the juice)
- Jigger(to measure out cocktail ingredients)
- Cocktail Shaker
More Rhubarb Recipes You’ll Love:
- Brined Boneless Pork Loin Roast with Rhubarb-Cherry Port Sauce
- Rhubarb Crunch
- Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
- Rhubarb Grunt: A Classic Americana Rhubarb Dessert
If you’ve tried this Rhubarb Pie Cocktail recipe or any other recipe on BoulderLocavore.com please don’t forget to RATE THE RECIPE and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
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Rhubarb Pie cocktail
NOTE: the rhubarb may be cooked and juice extracted then chilled in the refridgerator before making the cocktails. The reduces the cocktail making time to about 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (weight) Rhubarb (about 5 stalks) chopped into small pieces
- ¼ cup Water
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 8 ounces Vodka
For Rimming the Glasses:
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar or more depending on the number of glasses being rimmed
- 1/16 teaspoon ground Cinnamon only a slight amount of cinnamon to dust the sugar is needed
Instructions
Instructions for the Rhubarb puree:
Place the rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir periodically for 5-10 minutes until the rhubarb has broken down into a puree. NOTE: taste the puree and if desired more sugar may be added.
Place a strainer or sieve over a bowl and pour rhubarb mixture into the strainer. With a spatula or pliable spoon, push the rhubarb through the strainer to release the juice. Allow strained juice to cool. NOTE: pulp is not used in the recipe but may be used for other recipes (see blog post).
Instructions to make the Cocktail:
Pour 1/4 cup granulated sugar with a dusting of ground cinnamon in a small plate. Mix to combine. Rim cocktail glasses with the sugar mixture.
Mix 1 ounce rhubarb puree with 2 ounces Vodka in a shaker with ice. Shake, pour over ice in a lowball glass. Fill with club soda.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted and published with permission from Altitude Spirits.
Yvette says
I can’t rate it yet-I’ll be making these cocktails this weekend. However, you have a typo. It should say to combine the rhubarb simple syrup with the vodka, not the purée.
Toni Dash says
Thanks for flagging that Yvette! Hope you’ll enjoy the cocktails.