Photo of a rhubarb gimlet made by Stacey Brugeman.

Taste of Michigan Summer: Rhubarb Cocktail

Ingredients

Cocktail Ingredients:
  • 1 1⁄2 ounces vodka
  • 1⁄2 ounce rosemary syrup (below)
  • 1⁄2 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ounce rhubarb purée (below)
  • 1 dash rhubarb bitters
  • Fresh rosemary sprig, to garnish
Rosemary Syrup:
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
Rhubarb Purée:
  • 1 1⁄4 cups water
  • 1⁄2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups fresh rhubarb, diced

Directions

Rosemary Syrup: Pour water and sugar in small saucepan and simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add rosemary leaves. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain through fine-mesh sieve, pressing on leaves to extract liquid. Cool syrup to room temperature, then chill for 4 hours. Rhubarb Puree: Puree water, sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and rhubarb in blender. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Squeeze the remaining rhubarb pulp to release as much liquid as possible. Chill for 4 hours. Cocktail: In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Photo(s) by Dave Weidner