How to Make Rhubarb Gin
This homemade rhubarb gin is so delicious and easy to make! It’s just fresh (or frozen) rhubarb, steeped in gin with a bit of sugar. It’s a very hands-off process and the result tastes amazing.
Infused spirits
Infusing spirits with fruit is a great and easy way to impart some flavour. You can use the lesser expensive spirits too and it works just as well! Both the rhubarb flavour and colour are leached out into the gin and it becomes flavourful and beautiful pink colour.
Just a few ingredients
400g of fresh rhubarb and 65g of granulated sugar will flavor approximately 600ml of gin.
Method
- Chop up the rhubarb and coat it in sugar. Leave it to sit in the sugar at room temperature overnight. It will become really fragrant and juicy.
- The next day, pour over the gin and close the jar. Leave it in a cool dark place, to sit and infuse.
- Once it has steeped to your liking, strain out the rhubarb. Pour the gin into a jar and seal, or use the empty gin bottle.
Storing
This will last for up to 12 months in a cool dark place, though over time the deep pink colour will fade.
Serving
Serve it on the rocks, or with your favourite tonic water, soda water or another mixer. If you keep the mixer fairly neutral then you don’t lose the taste of the rhubarb.
Additional flavours
Rhubarb goes really well with other flavours too. Try adding in some –
- Raspberries for rhubarb raspberry gin, or add strawberries.
- A vanilla pod and/or a little lemon zest
- Fresh ginger for a rhubarb and ginger gin
- Orange peel (rhubarb and orange are a great match)
You can steep other fresh fruit too and sub out the rhubarb completely! Feijoa, raspberries and plums are great to use. Herbs can be added as well, like thyme, basil or rosemary. The steeping time will change depending on what is added to your infusion. Stronger flavoured herbs will only need a few days to impart their flavour. If you’d rather not use gin, you can use vodka instead.
Related recipes
Hete are some other homemade drinks to try!
Rhubarb Gin
Ingredients
- 400 g rhubarb
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 600 ml gin
Instructions
- Chop up the rhubarb stalks into 2 ½ cm (1 inch) pieces. Add them to a large clean jar and pour over the granulated sugar. Add on the lid, then give the jar a shake to coat the rhubarb in sugar.
- Leave the rhubarb to sit in the sugar overnight. It will become fragrant and juicy.
- The next day, pour the gin over the rhubarb and sugar and close the lid.
- Leave it in a cool dark place to sit and infuse for at least 4 days before sampling, gently shaking the jar every 2 days. For a stronger flavor, leave it to infuse for up to 4 weeks.
- Once it's infused to your liking, strain out the rhubarb. The rhubarb gin will last in a sealed bottle or jar for up to 12 months in a cool dark place. Over time the deep pink color will fade a bit.
- Serve with tonic, soda water, or your favorite mixer. Keep the mixer fairly neutral, so you don't lose the taste of the rhubarb.
Could I do this without the sugar?
Yes you can 🙂
Any ideas on what to do with the leftover rhubarb?
You could try lining a Swiss roll tin melting chocolate and then pouring the melted chocolate over the heady rhubarb this when cold will be delicious chocolate I’ have done this with sloes will do with the rhubarb this year as well
I make apple and rhubarb jam, maybe an alcoholic version?