If you have some garden fresh rhubarb, you need to serve this rhubarb cocktail at your next summer party. Balance the tart rhubarb by making a rhubarb syrup for this variation on a classic gin sour recipe. This rhubarb sour cocktail is sure to be a hit at your next summer cocktail party.
If you want to grow your own rhubarb I show you how to plant your own rhubarb here on this site. Did you know it can produce for 20 years? Also be sure to try my rhubarb cake recipe and my new favorite, rhubarb curd. So silky and delicious!
Rhubarb Sour
This rhubarb sour features a two ingredient, homemade rhubarb syrup, fresh squeezed lemon juice, your favorite gin and an egg white. Don’t skip the egg white. I promise you.
Is rhubarb poisonous?
Rhubarb leaves contain poisonous substances, including oxalic acid, which is a nephrotoxic and corrosive acid that is present in many plants. Humans have been poisoned after ingesting the leaves, a particular problem during World War I when the leaves were mistakenly recommended as a food source in Britain. The toxic rhubarb leaves have been used in flavoring extracts, after the oxalic acid is removed by treatment with precipitated chalk. Oxalic acid can also be found in the stalks of rhubarb, but the levels are too low to cause any bodily harm. Source
When can you pick rhubarb?
Pop on over and read my post on planting rhubarb in your garden. I do cover when and how to plant this tart stalk. The short version is that you can’t harvest any rhubarb the first year of growth so that the plant can be established. The second year you can harvest about half the growth and by the third year of growth you can get a full harvest.
Wait until the leaves have fully opened and the stalks are straight, a beautiful red and green color and pull gently from the base of the stalk to remove the rhubarb stalk.
Is using egg whites in a cocktail safe?
As long as you practice safe food handling while making your sour cocktail, yes. Using egg whites is safe in making cocktails. The danger of salmonella comes from bacteria that may have been on the outside of the shell.
Why do people put egg whites in cocktails?
Don’t knock it until you tried it! Seriously! By incorporating an egg white into this rhubarb sour cocktail will give it a silky mouth feel, a foamy texture at first sip and believe it or not, a bit of protein.
Rhubarb Sour Ingredients:
- 4 ounces rhubarb syrup
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 ounces Gin
- 1 egg white
- rhubarb curls for garnish
Rhubarb syrup ingredients:
- 4-5 long stalks of fresh rhubarb
- 2 cups sugar
Making rhubarb syrup
- Juice the the rhubarb stalks with a juice extractor until you reach 2 cups juice
- Combine the juice and the sugar in a pot.
- Over medium to high heat, bring the juice to a boil and dissolve the sugar.
- Remove the foam off the top of the syrup for a clearer presentation.
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Making Rhubarb syrup, option 2
- Chop 2 1/2 cups of rhubarb
- Combine the chopped rhubarb and the sugar in a pot.
- Over medium to high heat, bring the mixture to a boil and dissolve the sugar.
- Remove the foam off the top of the syrup for a clearer presentation.
- Strain the syrup through cheese cloth to remove the pulp.
photo credit: Evan Sharp
Making the Rhubarb Sour Cocktail.
- In a cocktail shaker filled 3/4 full with ice, add the rhubarb syrup, lemon juice and gin.
- Shake well to chill the cocktail.
- Strain the drink into a clean glass and discard the ice.
- Place the drink back in the cocktail shaker and add the egg white.
- Dry shake the cocktail until the egg white has foamed.
- Pour into a glass with a wide mouth to feature the wonderful foam.
- Garnish with a curl of rhubarb.
Why do you dry shake egg whites in cocktails?
Dry shaking egg whites in cocktails is when you are shaking a drink with an egg white ingredient and there is no additional ice in the shaker. The idea is you are ‘whipping’ the egg white, allowing it to foam and emulsify into the drink.
Meeting Pinterest Co-Founders
It all started with an email from Jess at Pinterest. I get a LOT of spam. People claiming to be someone they are not. I gave the email the side eye.
But I thought I would email ‘Jess from Pinterest’ back and see what rabbit trail we would go down. She assured me that yes, this was THE Pinterest and they would be in my area to connect with pinners. Would I be interested in a video chat to answer some questions?
Would I? YES. Sign me up please!
The video call happened and I must have said the right thing to the right question because by the end of the conversation she was asking if they, Pinterest could come to my home and ‘see you in action.’
Um, my house? My NOT Pinterest perfect house with my dirty counters, piles of laundry and over flowing dining room table with crafts? My house?
SURE!!!!! Come on over!
I don’t know at what point I realized that not only staff from Pinterest was coming over but the co- founders Evan Sharp and Ben Silbermann would be joining the team. You guys, this is like Steve Jobs coming to ask me how I like my iPhone.
My freak out level at at level 11.
It was decided that I would make cocktails with rhubarb, because that was the rabbit trail I went down in our conversation, they would see me ‘in action’ and we would talk Pinterest. I was told to be honest, open and to feel as comfortable as possible talking about how Pinterest and my business co mingle.
Rhubarb Sour
Ingredients
Rhubarb Sour Ingredients:
- 4 ounces rhubarb syrup
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 ounces Gin
- 1 egg white
- rhubarb curls for garnish
Rhubarb syrup ingredients:
- 4-5 long stalks of fresh rhubarb
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Making Rhubarb syrup, option 1
- Juice the the rhubarb stalks with a juice extractor until you reach 2 cups juice
- Combine the juice and the sugar in a pot.
- Over medium to high heat, bring the juice to a boil and dissolve the sugar.
- Remove the foam off the top of the syrup for a clearer presentation.
- Making Rhubarb syrup, option 2
- Chop 2 1/2 cups of rhubarb
- Combine the chopped rhubarb and the sugar in a pot.
- Over medium to high heat, bring the mixture to a boil and dissolve the sugar.
- Remove the foam off the top of the syrup for a clearer presentation.
- Strain the syrup through cheese cloth to remove the pulp.
- Making the Rhubarb Sour Cocktail.In a cocktail shaker filled 3/4 full with ice, add the rhubarb syrup, lemon juice and gin.Shake well to chill the cocktail.Strain the drink into a clean glass and discard the ice.Place the drink back in the cocktail shaker and add the egg white.Dry shake the cocktail until the egg white has foamed.Pour into a glass with a wide mouth to feature the wonderful foam.Garnish with a curl of rhubarb.
I did not throw away my shot.
To be honest, I was honest. I told them what I liked. Then I told them, as a creator and blogger, what frustrated me. I touched on a subject and said, can I be completely honest? Yes! The wanted the truth. I looked them in the eye and said stop that. Stop that right now. That is hurting bloggers.
I just told Pinterest to stop. I think my stomach hit the floor but I had the audience and they were receptive to what I had to say. I don’t know if it will make a difference but I used my voice.
Our conversation was not all love and rainbows. We talked about the business of blogging, stolen content, formatting, linking, the algorithm and urban myths when it comes to Pinterest. They were unaware what we as bloggers are being taught as ‘Pinterest Gold’.
Words that came out of their mouths: No, that was never a thing. Um, why would bloggers do that? They spend money on what related to Pinterest?
I am not here to clear up any urban legends as related to Pinterest. That information needs to come from the authority themselves, Pinterest. But I am hoping I said some things that got them thinking on how they can make Pinterest a great user experience for creators, as well as those looking for Pinteresting ideas.
Cheers Everyone!