Rhubarb Hibiscus Vodka

By Carol Dudar, recipes & food styling

Photos By Stacey Brandford

hibiscus vodka

You can make this as a batch cocktail or individually. Both recipes are below Batch cocktails are handy and less stressful when serving a few guests. Prepare the cocktail base and rim mixture ahead of time, keeping the base in the fridge. To serve the cocktail, just rim the glasses, divide the cocktail base between however many glasses you are serving and add the sparkling wine.  Very refreshing, fast, easy, and elegant.

Recipe

(makes 4 lowball cocktails)

Cocktail 

(makes 8 cocktails)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 cup/ 375 ml  rhubarb hibiscus syrup (*see recipe below)
  • 1 cup/250 ml vodka
  • 2 cups/ 500 ml sparkling wine (*add when serving)
  • fresh lemon juice

You may like this recipe as well:

Rim for glasses

  • ½ cup/ 125 ml granulated sugar
  • ½  cup/ 125 ml finely crushed hibiscus flowers
  • 2 oz fresh lemon juice

Rhubarb Hibiscus Vodka Syrup

  • 2 ½ cup/ 625 ml fresh rhubarb, ½” (1 cm) dice
  • 1 ½ cup/ 375 ml water
  • 1 ½ cup/ 375 honey
  • ½ cup (125 ml) dried hibiscus flowers

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make the syrup and have cooled and ready for making the cocktails.
  2. Can be made an hour ahead or a few days ahead and kept in the fridge.
  3. Bring water and honey to a boil, turn down to a simmer, stir and allow the honey to dissolve.
  4. Add the rhubarb, cover and let simmer on low heat for 20 min or until rhubarb has completely softened.
  5. Strain off rhubarb into a large wire strainer over a large bowl. 
  6. Set the rhubarb aside, add the hibiscus to the hot rhubarb syrup in the large bowl, stir and cover with pot lid or plate.
  7. Let the hibiscus steep for 15-20 min or until the flavours of the rhubarb and hibiscus have blended.
  8. Strain off the hibiscus flowers, and discard.
  9. Strain off the rhubarb, (*and set aside for using for another use such as serving over
  10. ice cream or over oatmeal for breakfast) and transfer the syrup to an airtight container.
  11. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  12. Let the syrup cool completely and decant into an airtight container. Keep in the fridge.
  13. Once the syrup is cool (should take an hour or less) start to make the cocktail base.

Rhubarb and hibiscus cocktail

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 oz (45 ml) Rhubarb and hibiscus syrup
  • 1 oz (30 ml) Viritus vodka
  •  ½  oz (15 ml)  Aperol
  • ½  oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • ½  cup (125 ml) sparkling wine

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rim glasses with lemon juice, and the prepared sugar/hibiscus mixture.
  2. Fill 4 low ball glasses with ice.
  3. Mix the syrup, vodka, Aperol and lemon juice together, divide between the 4 glasses.
  4. Top with the sparkling wine for your final hibiscus vodka delight. 

Publisher’s Note: Carol Dudar is a Toronto based recipe developer and food stylist.

You may like this recipe as well: