So. About the summery rhubarb cocktail infusion I started. Yeah. It didn’t really turn out so well…as long as we’re being honest here.
Above is a pint of moonshine infused with slices of rhubarb.
Here’s what I realized about rhubarb and moonshine: Uncut moonshine has a very distinct alcohol flavor, akin to Everclear. It’s not a particularly nice flavor (at least among us who aren’t backwoodsy alcoholics) and definitely not enjoyable for sipping.
Infusing moonshine with an instringent vegetable like rhubarb only exacerbates the harsh flavor of the booze.
I tried softening the flavor by stirring in a tablespoon of my unset rhubarb strawberry jam, leftover from a canning session the night before.
But even that wasn’t enough to take the edge off. The jammy mixture would have needed to soak in the shine for a week to make a difference.
In the end, I’m of the mind that rhubarb is not, in fact, the ideal flavor enhancer for ‘shine. For vodka, that’s another story. Vodka and rhubarb sound ideal together. In fact, my friend Thom sent me a tasty rhubarb-infused vodka recipe I’m dying to try.
So now I have a pint of rhubarb infused ‘shine that is calling out for a recipe. Any suggestions for a killer cocktail? ’Shine is too precious to waste!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
maybe add insane amounts of honey, ice and strawberry puree..and call it a southern daiquiri.
Boo. Maybe mix it into some sort of punch? Punch can cover so many sins. I did a rhubarb infused vodka and it’s OK, not fab, but drinkable.
Not wasting does not necessarily mean you have to drink it. Pour it on your weeds to see if it acts as a natural herbacide!!
Aaaaggghhh….Nooooooooooooooooo!
I did some rhubarb infused vodka. Mixed with leftover strawberry juice from frozen berries and a thickly sugared rim it makes a heck of a strawberry-rhubarb martini!
I actually just finished up some rhubarb liqueur using moonshine. I infused moonshine with finely chopped rhubarb for about 3 weeks. Filtered it and mixed it with about 1/2 cup simple syrup (or to taste). Supposedly, the longer you let it sit, the more mellow it gets but for me, after about a week, it tasted lovely. I mixed a shot of liqueur with a hefty squeeze of lime juice and topped it with a float of seltzer. It was fantastic. Over ice, it tasted like an amazing rhubarb limeade. You couldn’t taste the alcohol at all. I suggest adding a little simple syrup and letting it rest for a few weeks. It might surprise you. I am starting another batch this weekend!
Kelly, you have answered my prayers. I’ll add the simple syrup this evening and let it mellow! Thank you for the suggestion!
You’re very welcome! I hope it works for you
That is precisely how I enjoyed it last summer. Sometimes I added cherry syrup too.
The last post inspired me and I made a vodka ginger mint infusion and mixed a cocktail with pom juice and simple syrup. It was delish with a zing at the end. Then I looked up how to grow ginger root at home. I need lots more of that for my mixology experiments.
It’s really good with just some lemonade as well; the sweet and tart balance nicely, and it keeps it quite refreshing. I recently made rhubarb/apricot/orange liqueur, and paired it with Aperol and lemonade. Next time, if you roast the rhubarb in honey before infusing it, it’ll also bring out a more subdued but delicious flavor from the rhubarb.