Rhubarb Vodka Tonic

“My mom and dad would send my brother and me to our great aunt's farm for a few weeks every summer.  It was hot and boring for a couple little boys from the cities, but my great aunt would often throw some rhubarb and sugar in a blender, blend it up, pour it in a glass and top it with soda, and we would crush those things.  This cocktail kind of chases those flavors and memories.”

— Elliot Manthey, Meteor Bar

DIFFICULTY: EASY
TIME: 5 MIN + 10 MIN FOR SYRUP
GLASSWARE: Collins

Recipe:

• 1 ½ oz Far North Syvä Vodka

• 1 oz Fresh Rhubarb Syrup

• ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice

• 2 oz Tonic Water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine Far North Syvä vodka, rhubarb syrup and lemon juice in a shaker. Shake it like you mean it for 5 seconds. Immediately strain into an ice-filled collins class. Top with approximately 2 ounces of high-quality tonic water. Garnish with a thinly sliced lemon wheel and serve.

Fresh Rhubarb Syrup:

Cooking rhubarb mellows its sour and earthy flavors, which is great for pies and bars. For this cocktail, we want to emulate the flavor of dipping a raw stalk of rhubarb in sugar and taking a big bite.

In a blender combine:

• 1 cup chopped, raw rhubarb stems

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 pinch salt

Blend until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Strain with a fine mesh strainer. The syrup should be free of rhubarb fibers and undissolved sugar. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

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Weekly Good Acre CSA cocktail recipes brought to you by Far North Spirits and the bartenders of Meteor: “Old Ass Bar, Good Ass Hot Dogs and Stuff.”