Description
A refreshing, non-alcoholic spritzer combining tart rhubarb and floral lavender into a sophisticated beverage.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup fresh rhubarb, chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Chilled sparkling water or club soda
- Ice cubes
- Fresh lavender sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the rhubarb puree: Combine the chopped rhubarb and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the rhubarb is very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Strain the cooked rhubarb mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract the juice. Discard the solids. You should have about 1/2 cup of rhubarb juice.
- Make the lavender syrup: In a separate small saucepan, combine the sugar, the remaining 1/2 cup of water, and the dried lavender buds. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Do not boil.
- Remove the lavender syrup from the heat, cover, and let it steep for 15 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the lavender buds. Let the syrup cool completely.
- Combine the cooled lavender syrup and the strained rhubarb juice in a jar. Stir well. This is your base concentrate.
- To assemble the spritzer, fill a tall glass with ice. Add 2 to 3 ounces of the rhubarb-lavender concentrate to the glass.
- Top the glass with chilled sparkling water or club soda.
- Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a fresh lavender sprig before serving.
Notes
- If you prefer a less tart drink, reduce the amount of rhubarb juice used in the final assembly.
- You can make the concentrate up to one week ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator.
- For a deeper rhubarb flavor, roast the chopped rhubarb slightly before simmering it with water.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop and Assembly
- Cuisine: Modern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass (approx. 10 oz)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg