Rhubarb Shrub and Bourbon

Remember this time last year I was obsessed with Rhubarb? Yeah, I know, probably not. But I was obsessed and didn’t know how short the shelf life if rhubarb was in supermarkets or farmer’s markets. So when I finally made a syrup and wanted more it was gone. Poof. The season was over. This year I was ready. I might even confess to being manic about finding it. I won’t admit to stalking my local grocery story, but I was close.

When I found it, I bought it. The rhubarb simple syrup was tempting me to make again; but I opted for the shrub this year. In a word tasty. And because I know better, I bought a lot of it and made a syrup too (amazing).

The shrub is good, though it takes time to make; so preplanning is a must. It actually takes about 4 days! Ugh. My sense of urgency for the rhubarb shrub was high and I wanted it immediately. But I preserved.

I was scared the apple cider vinegar was going to overpower the delicate taste of the rhubarb – it doesn’t. It softens it a bit but doesn’t overwhelm it. I wanted use the shrub after 2 days, but I waited and the wait was worth it. The longer it sits, the more the flavor deepens and develops.

It was finally time to make my cocktail and I wanted it to be pretty simple – bourbon and shrub. After 4 days of waiting, I wanted easy. Unfortunately my wants didn’t match my reality. I tried a 3:1 ratio of shrub to bourbon. The ratio was good but I used a big bourbon and it overpowered the drink. If you want a bourbon forward cocktail with an afterthought of shrub go with a big bourbon. However, when I used an 80 proof bourbon with the same ratio it was delicious. The lower proof was a provided a good balance to the shrub.

I don’t know if this is going to be a one hit wonder; because really, I don’t always plan 4 days in advance to make a cocktail! Strawberry rhubarb shrub is next, I’ll keep you posted. 

Cheers,

~Kimberly Elise

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