Heirloom Rhubarb Fizz
With Mother’s Day this month, we've been reflecting on the influence our mothers and grandmothers have had on our business. From teaching us how to identify flavours, to gathering a crowd around good food, our maternal sides have shaped our company in more ways than one.
So here's a cocktail—sans alcohol—dedicated to our collective matriarchy.
Many of our mothers and grandmothers grew rhubarb in their home gardens. The candied rhubarb swirl and simple syrup in this cocktail pay homage to that tradition. Each time these bright pink stalks show their faces in spring, it's a sure sign that pies and coffee cakes are in our future. This year Drew’s Granny-in-Law taught us that covering rhubarb with a bucket forces the shoots to grow pinker and taller. Thanks for the trick Granny!
Our next maternal ingredients are Moroccan mint and pomegranates. Andrew's family often finishes a meal with a big pot of mint tea and cracking a pomegranate to share. It's always a good way to digest a delicious meal after eating too much. The mint we used in this mojito style cocktail was passed down from his Grandmother's garden, to his Mother's, to ours.
This cocktail includes heirloom ingredients, passed down our maternal lines, topped with life filled kombucha. Some of our motherly figures are no longer with us and most are farther than ever. But as we drink this cocktail, we can feel a little bit closer. Since as our mothers taught us, family lives on through food.
Ingredients
- 1 stalk of your pinkest and tallest rhubarb
- 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
- 2 sprigs of mint
- 1/4 pomegranate
- 1 lime
- 4 oz Silver Swallow Luxury Kombucha
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup crushed ice
Candied Rhubarb Swirls
1. Heat 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Let cool.
2. Use a peeler to make long strips of rhubarb from one rhubarb stalk. Soak in the sugar solution for 5 to 10 minutes. Don't discard the sugar solution as you can use it in the simple syrup recipe.
3. Bake rhubarb strips at 210°F until they are dried, not sticky to the touch, but still bendable. Curl the strips around a chopstick or handle of a wooden spoon. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Rhubarb Simple Syrup
1. In a small saucepan add 1/2 chopped rhubarb, 1 tbsp water and 1/4 cup sugar solution left over from candied rhubarb swirls. If you skipped the rhubarb swirls, just add 2 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp water instead.
2. Add juice of 1/4 pomegranate for extra pink colour by crushing the arils through a juicer.
3. Bring to a boil. Simmer 15 min. Strain off the juice and let cool. You can save the pulp for jam.
Heirloom Rhubarb Fizz
1. Muddle one sprig of mint. Save the other for the garnish
2. Add crushed ice, 1 oz rhubarb syrup and juice of half a lime
3. Top with Silver Swallow Luxury Kombucha
4. Garnish with lime slices, a sprig of mint and rhubarb swirl
To all the Moms out there, we love you!