• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Curly Girl Kitchen
  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Homemade Rhubarb Cordial

June 18, 2021 by Heather Smoke Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

An easy recipe for homemade rhubarb cordial that’s sweet, naturally pink and flavored with fresh rhubarb. You’ll love the taste of summer in this delicious and refreshing drink!

Interested in other rhubarb recipes? Be sure to check out my Rhubarb Layer Cake, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and Roasted Rhubarb Ice Cream.

A small glass filled with pink rhubarb cordial.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

Why You’ll Love this Liqueur

Celebrates Rhubarb Season. Rhubarb is such a wonderful ingredient that can be used so many different ways, but the growing season is short. You can generally only find fresh rhubarb around May-June, but you can still get frozen rhubarb at farmer’s market grocery stores. If you’re not familiar with rhubarb, it’s classified as a vegetable, has an extremely tart flavor, and is best when it’s sweetened.

Easy to Make. While this is not a quick recipe (since you have to let it steep for 2 months), the rhubarb cordial is so easy to make, with only a few minutes of hands on time.

Pretty and Sweet. Isn’t the pink color so beautiful? The sweet rhubarb-infused vodka is delicious, and you can drink it on its own, or mix it in cocktails.

Makes a Great Gift. Sometimes I’ll make bigger batches of the cordial, and give away pretty labeled bottles as gifts. I even made this to serve at our wedding for our signature drink!

Equipment

  • Quart Size Glass Jar with Lid
  • Saucepan
  • Strainer
  • Coffee Filter
Fresh rhubarb stalks.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients  

  • Rhubarb. You can use either fresh or frozen rhubarb, and both work great in this cordial recipe. Rhubarb is extremely tart, but becomes sweet, mellow and delicious when sweetened.
  • Vodka. You don’t have to use the most expensive vodka, but you don’t want the cheap stuff, either. Use a good-quality vodka for the best flavor in your homemade liqueur.
  • Water + Sugar. You’ll be sweetening the cordial with simple syrup, made from a 1:1 ratio of water and granulated sugar. The simple syrup also dilutes and mellows the harshness of the vodka.
Glasses filled with homemade rhubarb cordial on a silver tray.

Instructions

  • Wash the rhubarb and discard the green leaves, as they are toxic. Chop the rhubarb and pack it into the jar. Pour the vodka over the rhubarb, all the way to the top. Screw on the lid, set in a cool, dark place (like your pantry), and let steep for 1 month. As the rhubarb steeps in the vodka, the vodka will turn a beautiful pink color.
  • To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, and then turn off the heat. Strain the rhubarb-infused vodka, and discard the rhubarb. Pour the vodka and simple syrup back into the jar, and let rest for 1 month.
  • The last step is to filter the cordial, to remove any impurities for a crystal clear liqueur. You can do this simply by setting a coffee filter over a container, pouring in the cordial, and letting it drip through.
  • After filtering the liqueur, pour it into pretty liqueur bottles. It’s ready to enjoy!

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use fresh or frozen rhubarb?

Both fresh and frozen rhubarb work great.

Are rhubarb leaves poisonous?

Yes, the green leaves are toxic and should be thrown away.

Does the cordial need to be refrigerated?

It does not need to be refrigerated, as the high alcohol and sugar content will preserve the liquid, but you can refrigerate it if you want to drink it chilled.

What’s the best way to serve rhubarb cordial?

You can drink the cordial straight, or add it to cocktails. It’s delicious mixed with Sprite and crushed strawberries, or mixed with lemonade, champagne or white wine.

A bottle of homemade rhubarb cordial next to a small cordial glass.

You Might Also Like

  • Homemade lemonade, with rhubarb and ginger syrup.
    Homemade Lemonade
  • A jar of rhubarb curd with a spoon resting against the jar.
    Rhubarb Curd
  • A bowl of oatmeal topped with blueberry rhubarb compote, with cups of coffee.
    Oatmeal with Berry Rhubarb Compote
  • A biscuit split in half, topped with strawberry rhubarb jam.
    Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Favorite Products


Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

A small glass filled with pink rhubarb cordial.

Homemade Rhubarb Cordial

Heather Smoke
An easy recipe for homemade rhubarb cordial that's sweet, naturally pink and flavored with fresh rhubarb.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Rest Time 60 d
Total Time 60 d 35 mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American, British
Servings1 quart

Equipment

  • Quart Size Glass Jar with Lid
  • Saucepan
  • Strainer
  • Coffee Filter

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb rhubarb (fresh or frozen), chopped
  • 2 cups (16 oz or 1/2 liter) good-quality vodka
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Wash the rhubarb and discard the green leaves, as they are toxic. Chop the rhubarb and pack it into the jar. Pour the vodka over the rhubarb, all the way to the top. Screw on the lid, set in a cool, dark place (like your pantry), and let steep for 1 month.
  • To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, and then turn off the heat. Strain the rhubarb-infused vodka, and discard the rhubarb. Pour the vodka and simple syrup back into the jar, and let rest for 1 month.
  • The last step is to filter the rhubarb cordial, to remove any impurities for a crystal clear liqueur. You can do this simply by setting a coffee filter over a container, pouring in the cordial, and letting it drip through.
  • After filtering the liqueur, pour it into pretty bottles. It's ready to enjoy!

Notes

The rhubarb cordial does not need to be refrigerated, as the high alcohol and sugar content will preserve the liquid, but you can refrigerate it if you want to drink it chilled.
You can drink it straight, or add it to cocktails.  It’s delicious mixed with Sprite and crushed strawberries, or mixed with lemonade, champagne or white wine.
Keyword Cordial, Homemade Liqueur, Rhubarb
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/

Filed Under: Drinks

Previous Post: « Best Cherry Crumb Pie
Next Post: High Altitude Strawberry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome

I'm Heather, and welcome to my Colorado kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes, baked goods and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something delicious with me!

A graphic on how to make perfect American buttercream.
A graphic on how to stack, fill, crumb coat and frost layer cakes.

Recipe Index

  • Breads, Biscuits, Muffins and Doughnuts
  • Breakfast
  • Brownies and Bars
  • Cakes
    • Buttercream
    • Cake Decorating
    • Classic Cake Flavors
    • Holiday Themed Cakes
  • Candy and Snacks
  • Cheesecakes
  • Christmas and Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Cakes
    • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookies
  • Crisps, Crumbles, Cobblers and Puddings
  • Cupcakes
  • Drinks
  • Halloween
  • How To Guides and Resources
  • Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
    • Frozen Custard
    • Ice Cream Sandwiches
    • No Churn Ice Cream
    • Popsicles
  • Jams and Sweet Sauces
  • Pies and Tarts
  • Savory
A graphic on how I improved my food photography with Foodtography School.
A graphic on how to make flaky pie dough.

Recent Posts

  • High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
  • High Altitude Red Velvet Cake Whoopie Pies
  • Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
  • High Altitude Chocolate Sheet Cake
  • Rose Petal Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
  • Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts
  • Easy 3 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Truffles
  • High Altitude Chocolate Cinnamon Cake
  • High Altitude Toasted Hazelnut Coffee Cake
  • High Altitude Whole Wheat Honey Pancakes

Archives

  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact

Footer

I'm Heather, and welcome to Curly Girl Kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something sweet with me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Privacy Policy

About

FAQs

Work With Me

Contact

Copyright © 2023 Curly Girl Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkNoPrivacy Policy