Sunday, June 19, 2011

Rhubarb Bitters



Hi, I'm Tim - Amanda's (much) better half. I tend to spend time trying to find ways to connect our weekly CSA share to some form of cocktail or another.  I'm a big fan of trying different things when I can - especially in the summer when a cool drink can be a great after work  treat or a trick to spice up a social gathering. This week I found an interesting (and easy) recipe for rhubarb bitters.  For myself cool and dark places are hard to find in a walk up third floor apartment in late June, so I am not jumping into this one right away, but I may give it a try if we get another batch and I am feeling bold.

Ingredients
  • 3/4 lb. fresh rhubarb
  • 1 Vietnamese cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
  • (Note: Apparently sweeter than reg. cinnamon, if you sub. reg cinnamon, will result in a slightly more earthy flavor)
  • 1 med. sized navel orange
  • 1/2 med. sized ruby grapefruit
  • 12 oz. grain alc. (Everclear)
  • 6 oz. water
  • 1 oz. agave nectar
Tools
  • sharp knife
  • channel knife or veg. peeler
  • large jar w/ lid
  • fine strainer
  • clean glass bottle w/ lid
  • funnel
Directions 
  1. Chop rhubarb roughly in 1/2 inch cubes. (Note: on stalks - no leaves, they're poisonous!)
  2. With a channel knife or veg peeler remove the zest from the orange and grapefruit, being careful to not include any white pith.
  3. Combine the chopped rhubarb, citrus zest, cinnamon stick, and grain alcohol in a large glass jar and cover. Store the jar in a cool, dark place and shake daily for two weeks.
  4. Strain ingredients through a fine strainer and funnel into a clean glass bottle.
  5. Funnel the water and agave into the bottle and shake to combine.  Store at room temp. for up to two months.
Courtesy:
Imbibe Magazine
May/June 2011

Cocktail recipes to use your bitters can be found at: 
http://www.imbibemagazine.com/In-this-Issue-May/June-2011
Image Courtesy of:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prolost/5696900005/lightbox/