Rhubarb Fizz Cocktail

Happy Easter, Passover.... or just Happy Spring! And since the arrival of spring has always been met with  a celebration,I have the perfect drink - this Rhubarb Sparkling Wine Cocktail. The rhubarb flavor comes from a shrub.  A what? Yeah, I know... strange name for a very old recipe!   The term "shrub" comes from the Arabic word "sharab" meaning "to drink" - and despite the weird name, you are going to want to make this!!

Made with fruit, sugar and vinegar, shrubs make a fabulous sweetener for  sparkling wine cocktails  or as a flavoring for sparking/still water and are just about the handiest thing to have in your fridge during the spring and summer. You can set out a pretty tray with a bottle of your shrub of choice, some sparkling wine or sparkling/still water  and your spirit of choice - and with this Rhubarb shrub, a bottle of Hendrick's gin would be divine as would some ginger beer for those who don't imbibe. Combined with some pretty garnishes (fresh mint, citrus twists, etc., etc.) you've got an easy DIY bar that works for everyone - drinkers and non drinkers alike.

You can make a shrub from just about any fruit -and it's ideal for those less than perfect specimens or when you've got the motherlode of fruit that you need to use up ASAP. Make a shrub and stash it in the fridge - it will last for several months refrigerated.

So, making this Rhubarb Sparkling Wine cocktail will be as easy as popping open a bottle of sparkling wine!

Happy weekend everyone!!

📖Recipe

Rhubarb Sparkling Wine Cocktail

Tart, sweet and oh so refreshing, fresh rhubarb flavors an easy to make shrub that's the basis for this Rhubarb Sparkling Wine Cocktail. Shrubs are a great way to preserve the bounty of summer fruit!!

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate Add to Collection Go to Collections

Course: cocktail

Prep Time: 12 hours hours

Total Time: 12 hours hours

Servings: 3

Calories: 743kcal

Author: Nancy Buchanan

Ingredients

• For the shrub:
• 4 cups fresh rhubarb chopped
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups cider vinegar
• For the Rhubarb Fizz:
• 1 oz. rhubarb shrub
• 3 oz. sparkling wine

Instructions

• For the shrub:
• Combine the chopped rhubarb in a non reactive bowl and add the sugar. stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 12 hours or overnight. You should end up with a lovely pink syrup. Pour the syrup and the fruit through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing down on the rhubarb to remove as much liquid as possible. Add 1 cup apple cider vinegar to the syrup and stir to combine. Taste. If you like it as is, you are done! If you'd like it a little tarter (my preference) add the remaining cider. Transfer the shrub to a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator.
• Notes: the general guideline for making a shrub is 1 cup fruit + 1 cup sugar + 1 cup vinegar and this is a good place to start. You may need less sugar, especially if your fruit is very ripe. Also, with vinegar, how much you need will again depend upon how ripe your fruit is and how tart you like things. What you are looking for is a good balance between sweet and sour. For the rhubarb shrub I used cider vinegar with is smoother than white vinegar but as I am sure you can tell, there are endless combinations both with sugars (brown, demerara, etc., etc.) and with vinegars so feel free to experiment - that's part of the fun!

Recipe Notes

• There are two ways to make a shrub - you can combine the fruit and sugar and cook over medium high heat until the juice is released and the sugar dissolves - its definitely quicker but I prefer the cold method - I think the flavor is better and once I combine the fruit and sugar I don't have to do anything!!!!
• The general guideline for making a shrub is 1 cup fruit + 1 cup sugar + 1 cup vinegar and this is a good place to start. You may need less sugar, especially if your fruit is very ripe. Also, with vinegar, how much you need will again depend upon how ripe your fruit is and how tart you like things. What you are looking for is a good balance between sweet and sour. For the rhubarb shrub I used cider vinegar with is smoother than white vinegar but as I am sure you can tell, there are endless combinations both with sugars (brown, demerara, etc., etc.) and with vinegars so feel free to experiment - that's part of the fun!

Nutrition

Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 182g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 580mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 175g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1.1mg

YOU KNOW I WANT TO SEE IT!Mention @Acommunaltable or tag #acommunaltable!