The Seattle Times - NOTHING SAYS springtime like rhubarb.
When the tall red stalks are in season, I like to savor them in as many ways as possible: pickled, baked in pies, simmered into compote, soaked in a sweet syrup and infused into cocktail bitters.
Aromatic cocktail bitters are made by steeping a combination of bark, roots, herbs, spices or flowers in a neutral high-proof spirit. The highly concentrated elixir is added in dashes to brighten and balance drinks. A few drops can also transform seltzer water.
At their best, rhubarb bitters taste, of course, tart and grassy like rhubarb, but they also wow the palate with citrus and spice tones. I was searching for a DIY recipe that produced this trifecta of rhubarb, citrus and spice. Some best-selling rhubarb bitters are overly sweet and perfumed due to artificial flavors and glycerin. I was after purity.
When the tall red stalks are in season, I like to savor them in as many ways as possible: pickled, baked in pies, simmered into compote, soaked in a sweet syrup and infused into cocktail bitters.
Aromatic cocktail bitters are made by steeping a combination of bark, roots, herbs, spices or flowers in a neutral high-proof spirit. The highly concentrated elixir is added in dashes to brighten and balance drinks. A few drops can also transform seltzer water.
At their best, rhubarb bitters taste, of course, tart and grassy like rhubarb, but they also wow the palate with citrus and spice tones. I was searching for a DIY recipe that produced this trifecta of rhubarb, citrus and spice. Some best-selling rhubarb bitters are overly sweet and perfumed due to artificial flavors and glycerin. I was after purity.