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Rhubarb and Rye Cocktail
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Rhubarb and Rye

Rye whiskey, Aperol and orangebitters combine with a simple rhubarb purée to create a tart, refreshing summer cocktail.
Course Drinks
Servings 2 cocktails

Ingredients

For the Rhubarb Purée (makes 2+ cups):

  • 1 pound rhubarb stalks
  • scant 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup water

For the cocktail:

  • 1-1/2 ounces rye whiskey (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1-1/2 ounces rhubarb purée
  • 1/2 ounce Aperol
  • 2 dashes orange bitters

Instructions

  • Make the rhubarb purée. Cut the rhubarb stalks into 1/2 inch pieces. Put in a pan—I used a large heavy-bottomed skillet so everything would be in one layer. Add the sugar and the water. Turn on moderate heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then let everything simmer, stirring now and then, until the rhubarb is totally soft—about 10 or 15 minutes. Don't worry that you're using so little water. Rhubarb stalks (technically they are petioles) already contain a lot of water, which they'll add to the mix.
  • Taste and make sure it is sweet enough and not too puckery—adjust if you need to.
  • Let it cool for a bit, then run it around in the blender or food processor until it is smooth. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
  • Make the cocktail. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice, seal tight and shake for 15 to20 seconds. Pour into 2 ice-filled coupes or rocks glasses and serve.

Kitchen Notes

The booze. Use any good quality rye. The rye we used is High West Double Rye! The exclamation point is part of the name!
Seasonal, but not a fruit. Rhubarb is a vegetable—the stalks of a perennial plant. We're nearing the end of its season, but we were able to find it at Whole Foods.
Purée without strain. Many recipes call for passing the purée through a sieve after processing it. I did this, but really there was no need—the blender had blended away any fibers. The purée just fell through the sieve without event.
So much purée! This makes way, way more purée than you will need for a few cocktails, unless you are having a party, and I hope you are! It is terrific on plain yogurt, on hot cereal or ice cream. Spoon it over a wedge of cheesecake or some sliced strawberries. You can also make a nice nonalcoholic drink with it—spoon 3 or 4 tablespoons of rhubarb purée into a highball glass, top with club soda, gently stir just a bit (you want to preserve that nice thickness at the bottom of the glass), and garnish with an orange slice. And, if you like, a mint leaf.
Or make less purée. Alternatively, if you don’t feel like having two or so cups of rhubarb puree hanging around, you can just make less. The rule of thumb is to weigh the rhubarb and then use about 1/3 that weight of sugar. Use a small saucepan and not much water—just enough to dissolve the sugar. Again, rhubarb stalks will add their own liquid.