Rhubarb Cocktails

What says spring and early summer than rhubarb? Nothing. That's what.

If you're tired of strawberry rhubarb pies or even rhubarb crisps, turning to fun, flavorful cocktails is a great way to take advantage of the bounty of rhubarb available this time of year. Here's two great ways to use the same rhubarb simple syrup.

First, make the rhubarb syrup so it can cool.

Rhubarb Simple Syrup

1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
2 cups chopped rhubarb

Combine and heat over a medium heat for 20 minutes. Strain through a chinois and reserve the leftover rhubarb pulp for use with vanilla ice cream or greek yogurt.

For the first cocktail, I wanted to experiment with mezcal.

Smoky Rhubarb Margarita

2 oz. mezcal
1 oz. Patron Citronage
1 oz. rhubarb simple syrup
Juice of 1 lime

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and strain into glass with crushed ice.

Next, I wanted to experiment with bourbon. It paired really well.

Rhu McClanahan

2 oz. Kentucky bourbon
1 oz. Rhubarb simple syrup
4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Ginger Ale

Combine first three ingredients in a highball glass filled with crushed ice and top with ginger ale.