Rhubarb Raspberry Fizz

Now that spring is in full swing and the sun shines brighter, cooling drinks are on everyone’s mind and we are very excited for this delicious drink recipe. Here is Sarah:

I wanted to come up with something that was refreshing and delicious, but didn’t contain a lot of sugar or caffeine. Since the only two things I can grow successfully is rhubarb and raspberries, I thought they would be a perfect place to start. After some tinkering, the rhubarb-raspberry fizz was born. It is a sweet-tart drink, with a small amount of honey balancing the sharp fruit. It’s incredibly tasty, and I’m looking forward to spending the (short) summer months sipping it.

Rhubarb Raspberry Fizz

Instead of simmering the rhubarb and raspberries with honey, I’ve added the honey to the warm juice after it’s been cooked and strained. I found this gave it a more ‘clean’ honey taste. I thought 2 tablespoons was the perfect amount – it still left a little bit of tartness to the drink. Feel free to add more if you’d like it sweeter. If you want to make the juice ahead, remember that honey will firm up in the fridge, and you will have to gently reheat the mixture to loosen the honey. Sugar could be substituted, although I would include it in the simmering stage. A tablespoon or two of minced ginger would be lovely here, and strawberries or blueberries would make a nice substitution for the raspberries. A splash of bourbon is also excellent! I made this with both straight up tap water and club soda, and liked it both ways.

12 ounces rhubarb, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 ounces raspberries
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped
2 cups water
8 tablespoons good honey (more or less to taste, see note)
water, club soda, ginger ale, or any other bubbly drink you think would be a good fit

Place the rhubarb, raspberries, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 30 minutes until rhubarb is tender. Place the mixture in a strainer over a large bowl and press on the rhubarb and raspberries until all the juice is released (you should have about 2 cups). Discard the pulp. Divide the warm mixture equally between 4 glasses and stir 2 tablespoons honey into each glass (more or less to taste), making sure honey is dissolved. Let cool, and then add equal amounts water, club soda, or ginger ale to each glass (about 1/2 cup per glass). Top with ice, and serve.