Rhubarb Lime Spritzer
Share
- ✉
-
Author Notes: Rhubarb's bracing acidity and generous fragrance make it a perfect medium for drinks. You cook down a little rhubarb with sugar and a dash of water, season it however you like -- ginger, lemongrass, or why not cardamom? -- strain the mixture, and blend the syrup with sparkling water or, better yet, prosecco.
Here I added vanilla to the rhubarb and then squeezed a lime into the drink. And as I sit here sipping it on a late April evening when it's still 80 degrees out, I'm pretty happy with my little midnight elixir. - amanda
Makes 6 drinks
- 3/4 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 36 ounces sparkling water or prosecco
- 6 lime wedges
- Place the rhubarb, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Cover and place over medium heat. Simmer until the rhubarb is soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon -- then mash it! Stir in the vanilla.
- Pass the rhubarb mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much syrup as possible. You should have 3/4 cup syrup.
- Fill 6 tumblers with ice. Add 2 tablespoons of syrup to each glass. Top with sparkling water (or prosecco). Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass. Give each drink a stir. Then toast to your thirst and happiness.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes
Share a Recipe
Enter one of our contests, or share that great thing you made for dinner last night.
Add a Recipe
12 months ago JanSin
I have a steam juicer. It's a bit of a random piece of equipment, but it makes beautiful rhubarb syrups and juices, which I can for later enjoyment.
Look here: http://www.amazon.com/Mehu...
Super amazing easy to use. If you do a search on Google, you'll see lots of videos. You can get them cheaper, just make sure you get stainless steel and not aluminium.
12 months ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
Cool -- thank you!
about 2 years ago fitsxarts
i am really excited to try this!
about 3 years ago mcshay
help! i boiled the rhubarb but it's too thick and gooey to pass through my sieve (i will say it tastes great regardless though). with 2 lbs of rhubarb i barely yielded half a cup. got any tips on how to avoid this next time? and any suggestions on what to do with the leftover rhubarb goop? seems too tasty to toss...
about 3 years ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
You may have cooked off too much liquid by boiling it (in step 1, you're supposed to just simmer it). But don't worry! Add 1/4 cup water to the mixture and gently reheat it. Then pass it through the sieve. As for the goop, you could spoon it over ice cream.
about 3 years ago lshubert
I've made this a few times since it was posted--It is a wonderful drink! We're having it again tonight (:
about 3 years ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
How great to hear!
about 3 years ago Jennifer Ann
Sound perfectly refreshing! My mother has an enormous rhubarb plant - I wonder if you could freeze the syrup to last throughout the summer?
about 3 years ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
I bet you could -- may not retain its color well, but its flavor should hold up.
12 months ago May Ellen
Rhubarb freezes well, so perhaps freeze before making the syrup, that would help keep the color.