I have never had rhubarb, and I’ve been on the hunt for it for the last few months. It just so happens that I stopped into one of my favorite grocery stores, Doris Italian Market, the other day, and there was a package of rhubarb stalks. Good thing I have recipe software on my phone because I quickly looked up everything else I would need for this Rhubarb Mint Mojito recipe. I do love a mojito, and I’m really hoping I like rhubarb. I’m not even sure how to handle or prepare it, so let’s find out!
Celebrate spring and summer weather with this recipe for a Rhubarb Mint Mojito, made with easy rhubarb simple syrup. Make it a cocktail or a mocktail!
The Ingredients
I only bought one package of rhubarb with about six stalks in it (BTW, it was just over $4). The recipe calls for four cups of chopped rhubarb, and there wasn’t enough in the package. There were about two and a half cups after I chopped it up, so I cut the simple syrup recipe in half.
I also had to pick up the fresh mint, limes, and sparkling water, but I had everything else on hand. I even had some white rum leftover from the Blood Orange and Raspberry Mojito I made a while back.
The Process
The first step in this recipe is to make the Rhubarb Simple Syrup. Simple syrup is indeed simple and adding some cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped rhubarb really didn’t make it any more difficult. Here’s how my time was spent:
- 15 minutes for the simple syrup (not including time to chill)
- 4 minutes to make the cocktail
- 19 minutes total
Rhubarb Simple Syrup
I have no clue what the “proper” way to handle rhubarb is, so I made it up as I went along. I used a chef's knife to cut each stalk into three strips, then I cut the strips into 1/2 inch pieces.
Making the actual syrup was even less work than chopping the rhubarb. Just add all the ingredients to a saucepan and simmer until it thickens and the rhubarb gets soft. Tip: I used a fork to test the rhubarb, and it seemed soft after 10 minutes or so.
I strained the syrup with my large mesh strainer, and that removed all the big chunks of rhubarb. It also left a lot of the ground cinnamon and nutmeg, so I strained the syrup a second time with my fine mesh strainer. That gave me a much clearer simple syrup.
Then it was into a sealed container to chill while I cleaned up and got ready to make the actual cocktail. I wandered off and did some housework and came back to chilled Rhubarb Simple Syrup later that afternoon.
Rhubarb Mint Mojito
The cocktail itself was pretty easy to make, though I had a little difficulty muddling the mint. The instructions say to add the mint leaves to the cocktail shaker, add ice, then muddle with the end of a wooden spoon. I’m not sure how well that muddled the mint, but that and shaking it later seemed to take care of it. I even ended up with some tiny bits of mint leaves in my cocktail.
After that, all I had to do was measure the simple syrup and rum, and juice a lime. I poured the shaken cocktail over some ice. Tip: Slowly pouring the sparkling water over the ice didn’t disturb the syrup and created a lovely ombre effect that looked so nice in the photos, IMO. I did give everything a quick stir before I drank it, though, and it turned the whole cocktail a pretty pastel pink.
