Top tips for the perfect rhubarb sour
When we opened Pigs, the very first cocktail that we had on our bar menu was a rhubarb sour, and it’s been one of our favourite drinks ever since.
Why? Well, there’s something about the shocking sharpness of rhubarb that hits just right, particularly arriving as it does right after the dreary winter. That flash of pink, that cheek-sucking sourness is just, just so. Pair that with a little booze, and soften it with the creaminess of an egg white sour, and it’s hard to think of a better way to toast spring.
If you fancy giving it a go at home, here’s a recipe, and five top tips we’ve learnt over the last five years.
Rhubarb Sour - Makes 1 drink
50ml gin - we favour Wood Brothers
25ml lemon juice
20ml rhubarb syrup
1 egg white
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Fill your glass with ice to chill it down. Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and give it a hard dry shake for 10-15 seconds. Fill the shaker with ice and shake again, until the shaker is frosted. Double strain into your chilled glass, and serve on the rocks or up (without ice). Garnish with a little slice of rhubarb, wedge of lemon, or perhaps a seasonal primrose flower.
So, that’s the basic recipe - here are some top tips to make yours even better.
Try to avoid heat when making your syrup.
Stewed rhubarb is a brilliant thing. Ideal on porridge or yoghut, but in a cocktail? You’ll often see recipes suggest making a rhubarb syrup by cooking down equal parts rhubarb with sugar and a little water. This ‘cooked’ taste takes away a little of the rhubarb’s brightness, so instead avoid heat. Simply slice your rhubarb finely and combine with the same weight of sugar. Mix in a lidded tup, then pop in the fridge for a couple of days. The sugar will draw out the juices from the rhubarb making a pinker, brighter, and tastier syrup.
Shake hard, then harder.
One of the reasons why we love this style of cocktail so much is the fluffy head on the top of the glass. It looks elegant, and impressive, and helps make for a classy sip. To make your foam fab, the key is to really shake hard, twice. Weak, hesitant shaking, will lead to a thin foam. You can even remove the spring for your cocktail strainer and add that to the cocktail shaker for the dry shake for extra whip.
Mix up your base spirit.
In our recipe above, we recommended gin, but don’t let your creativity be bridled. Vodka (particularly if also infused with rhubarb, and maybe a little cardamon) works equally well, or go a little more off-piste and use mezcal. Tequila’s punchier cousin, mezcal’s smokiness works brilliantly with rhubarb.
Fancy learning a little more about cocktails, check out our latest seasonal menu here. Or, why not join us during our Cocktails on the Clumps weekend for a special foraging & cocktail class. And if you fancy our running a cocktail bar at your next event or party, visit our Free Range Pigs page and drop us a line.