Rhubarb Gin Sour Cocktail Recipe

The Rhubarb Sour is a tart and slightly sweet riff on a gin sour that features a rhubarb-infused simple syrup, gin, lemon, and an egg white to achieve a creamy, frothy texture. The resulting cocktail has a tart and bittersweet flavor profile with a touch of herbaceousness from the gin. 

Rhubarb season begins at the end of March, and this tart and sweet cocktail is the perfect way to make the most of it. An easy infused syrup provides this drink the bittersweet rhubarb flavor as well as its light pink hue. The syrup is made by combining roughly chopped rhubarb with granulated sugar and water in a saucepan and simmering until the rhubarb has broken down and fully flavored the syrup. This method is much like any other simple syrup infusion, including those made with ginger or even cinnamon. 

While gin’s herbaceousness blends well with the rhubarb in this drink, vodka can also be used as the spirit base. Any additional rhubarb syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Top syrup with club soda for an easy nonalcoholic drink, or drizzle it on yogurt or ice cream.

Why the Rhubarb Gin Sour works

The Rhubarb Sour follows the formula of a sour cocktail with two parts base spirit, one part sweet, and one part sour. In this case, though, the sweet component of the rhubarb syrup also has some tart tones to it, adding some extra complexity to the drink. 

The egg white, another classic component of a sour cocktail, adds richness and body to the cocktail, giving it an almost creamy texture. This drink can be topped with a range of garnishes, including fresh rhubarb, a few drops of bitters, or even fresh thyme leaves, which echo the herbaceousness of the gin.