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This rhubarb basil smash is the perfect summer cocktail. Delicious homemade rhubarb syrup combined with fresh basil, vodka, and bitters. You’ll love this drink!
Summer is here! If you have been following my blog for awhile you know that every winter I do a little event called The Boozy Days of Christmas. It’s basically two weeks straight of warm winter drinks that will keep your belly warm and ready to take on all the crazy holiday festivities.
This summer I decided it take this event and bring it into the warm weather. With all the all freshness of summer, it was dying to be done. Plus I was getting a little tired of doing tons of mulled wine, cider, and eggnog cocktails.
So, for the next two weeks, I will be sharing nothing but summer drinks. It will include lots of drinks made with fresh fruit, herbs, and nothing but quality spirits, bitters, tonics, and syrups. I will also be having TONS of fun giveaways. If you enjoy making cocktails will want to come back every day to see what recipe is being served up and if there is a fun giveaway to go along with the post.
For this first drink, I took homemade rhubarb syrup, vodka, lemon, basil, and bitters and created the most delicious summertime drink. It’s slightly sweet and has a light basil flavor. Who knew basil and rhubarb were such good friends? This drink would also be perfect with gin if you are a fan.
I was lucky enough to get to experiment with Fee Brothers bitters and Adirondack Distilling Vodka. While I had never really played around with bitters I was amazed to find the depth of flavor it brings to a cocktail. Plus they come in tons of flavors that work with just about any cocktail you can dream up.
Also, I’m a sucker for local distilleries. I was lucky enough to talk to one of the owners of Adirondack Distilling Company and they sent me a bottle of their fantastic vodka. The thing I love the most about this vodka is that it’s made from New York state corn and distilled in an environmentally friendly process. If you are going to make it a point to eat locally you should also make it a point to drink locally! Who’s with me!
Rhubarb Basil Smash
Ingredients
For cocktail:
- 6 basil leaves
- 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce rhubarb syrup
- 1-1/2 ounce vodka
- 3 dashes Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters
For rhubarb syrup:
- 4 cups chopped rhubarb
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
For cocktail:
- In a cocktail shaker add basil leaves, lemon juice, and rhubarb syrup.
- Gently muddle to bruise basil. You do not want to rip the basil apart in the shaker. Just gently release the basil flavor.
- Add in ice and vodka.
- Add shaker lid and shake until cold.
- Pour into a short cocktail glass and add more ice if needed.
- Add rhubarb bitters and give a quick stir.
For rhubarb syrup:
- Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer and cook till thick, about 20 minutes.
- Pour through a fine strainer, gently pushing the fruit to extract all the juice. I like to press a little firmer on my fruit so my syrup is more cloudy because more solids make it into my syrup. If you want a clearer syrup make sure to not press any of the solids through the strainer. Store refrigerated in a jar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would use it to display recipes in the kitchen from blogs and pinterest, so I can make them. Also for reading, writing, music, games and socializing.
We all share one iPad now and anyone who has “shared” something knows just how unequal that usually is. I’m always the one waiting around, if I win this…..hands off!
Recipe searches would be so much easier on an iPad than on our old desk top far away from the kitchen.
I would use the iPad for so much! Cookbooks, photographs, sewing. EVERYTHING!
I would surf for recipes, read great blogs and enjoy having a ipad mini.
Love the cocktail, it looks so refreashing! Love the idea of local vodka I will be trying this one. New IPad oh yeah! I would be on Pinterest and my food blogs all day long! Hubby would not like it but oh well! TFS
If I won the iPad, I would stage a war between it and my Kindle Fire 🙂
I’d do tons of recipe searches in the kitchen with it!
Oh my garsh, this looks amazing! I cannot wait to see what happens during the boozy days of summer…oh the possibilities. And thanks for the chance to win, Brandy 🙂
…oh yeah, and I would use my iPad for taking all sorts of photos on the go! And lots of cocktail photos. 😉