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.
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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
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.
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.
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Homemade Rhubarb Cordial
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
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!
I have used this recipe this year and last year and it is beautifully simple! I love the flavor! This year for a change I used gin. Not sure whether I like vodka or gin the best, equally good.
Discard the Rhubarb!!!!!!!
are you mad!!
use what remains along with some more Rhubarb to make Rhubarb jam.
Hello! I can’t wait to make this! Questions… will the color of the cordial change with time after bottling? How long will the cordial keep? If I make this in June would it be a pretty and tasty Christmas gift? Thanks!
It doesn’t change color – I’ve had a jar of it in my pantry for several years and it’s still the same color. With the high alcohol content, it will keep for many years!
Thank you for the quick response! Love your recipes. 🙂
I second the gin and the not throwing out the rhubarb! I have used the soaked rhubarb to make a “gin and tonic” rhubarb crumble which was wildly popular!