Cocktails: The Rhubarb and Rye
Ask me to for a list of my favorite summer cocktails and you’re all but guaranteed to get a list of drinks with several things in common: 1) Light and refreshing 2) Cold – Sorry, no Hot Toddy’s for a few more months 3) Not too sweet, tart, or bitter 4) Uses in-season fruit flavors. The Rhubarb and Rye is an exceptionally refreshing summer sipper that checks all four of those boxes.
While a lot of rhubarb cocktails get their signature flavor from a rhubarb syrup or puree, this one actually gets it from a half ounce of Fee Brother’s Rhubarb Bitters. I know what you’re thinking – Don’t worry, these are quite a bit sweeter than most bitters out there. A dash or two will get you pretty far in a gin and tonic, but for this one we’ll need a little more to cut through the more dominant Campari and Lemon Juice. If you find that the Rhubarb and Rye is a little too bitter for your tastes, try cutting back on the Campari a bit rather than the bitters. As with most cocktails using citrus juice, a bold, spicy rye (Or high-rye bourbon) is your best bet here – Wild Turkey 101 Rye and Rittenhouse both work really well.
Ingredients:
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 oz Campari
½ oz Fee Brother’s Rhubarb Bitters
½ oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Preparation:
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker.
- Shake vigorously with ice for 10 seconds.
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass with a large chunk of ice.
- Garnish with a large lemon zest and a Luxardo cherry.
Cheers!
Blake Smith
Find me on Instagram and Twitter @BourbonandBrews. Have a cocktail you would like to see featured? Send me a DM on Instagram, Twitter, or via email at Blake.BourbonandBrews@gmail.com