Clearly I’m not over this rhubarb season. It’s definitely one of my favourites vegetables to experiment with, and I am having a serious craze. This may be partly do to the fact that it was a very absent vegetable in my youth. So to make up for delicious lost moments, I’ve been putting rhubarb in pretty much everything, and today I’m bringing you a group-friendly punch to enjoy this sunny weekend!
Whenever I’m stuck or need some guidance with flavour pairings, I always go to the trusty ‘Flavor Bible’ book. If you don’t have this book…well you need to get on it. This guide has changed everything for me and it continues to keep me inspired and creative. So while I was reading through Rhubarb, cardamom was listed as an excellent pairing.
You don’t have to convince me with cardamom. This is one of my all time favourite spices to use, and it’s so versatile. It can be paired in many savoury and sweet dishes and it is largely produced out of Guatemala and India. This spice is typically found in Indian cuisine, and is very aromatic, with slight hints of floral notes, herbs and citrus. If you’ve never tried it, well it’s really hard to compare, so make sure the next time you are in the market to keep your eyes open for green cardamom pods.
Moving on from my obsession with cardamom and on to the main feature…the PUNCH! I love when I’m able to create recipes meant for sharing. That’s what this cocktail culture is all about. We don’t ever want to drink by ourselves. We want to share a moment and connect with others and cocktails do just that. So I’m a big advocate for punches because it’s an excuse to have the gang over and share something delicious.
So with this Rhubarb, Strawberry and Cardamom syrup, I’ve tied together some gin, sweet vermouth, fresh oranges and bitters for an insanely tasty punch. Don’t believe me? Just try! Give it a stir this weekend and I’ll promise you, that you won’t regret it…unless you have the whole thing to yourself…that might hurt the next morning.
Rhubarb and Strawberry Spring Punch
Here we have a spring-inspired punch that uses Rhubarb, Strawberry and Cardamom!
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 3 oz London Dry Gin
- 2 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 3 oz Rhubarb Strawberry Syrup
- 3 oz Orange Juice
- 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 10 dashes Angostura Bitters
- 3 oz Soda Water
- 8 Lemon Wheels Thinly Sliced
- 6 Strawberries Thinly Sliced
- 6 Cinnamon Sticks 4 for individual glasses
Instructions
In a pitcher filled with ice, add gin, vermouth, syrup, orange juice, lemon and bitters. Stir until cold
Strain into empty punch bowl and add half the lemon wheels, half of the strawberries and 2 cinnamon sticks
The rest of the fruit is for garnishing the individual glasses. Pour over 1 large ice cube for each individual glass and top slightly with soda.
Recipe Notes
For the floral ice cube, I simply put a couple edible flowers in a large ice cube tray with water. Let this sit over night and it's done!
To find the Rhubarb, Strawberry and Cardamom Syrup recipe, follow here.
