Homemade Rhubarb Gin Recipe (with ginger, if you like) (2024)

Homemade Liqueurs

I discovered the joys of homemade liqueurs and infusions a few years ago, and have become rather addicted to the whole experience and adventure. The possibilities and permutations are endless. Fruit + alcohol, but which fruit, which alcohol? That’s completely up to you! And the season, naturally. Pink gin, blue gin, green gin, chocolate gin?

Anything homemade is always going to be markedly better, for the simple reason that you can make it your own, and homemade liqueurs are no different.

Different Gin Flavours

So rhubarb in spring and summer, strawberries in summer, blackberries and apples in autumn, you get the idea. Incidentally, along similar lines, I do the same thing with vinegar. Raspberry balsamic vinegar is sweet, sour and so, so enslaving.

Over the last few years, I’ve made sloe gin, damson gin, raspberry gin, blueberry gin and limoncello. And various types of flavoured vodkas, like lemongrass and kaffir lime vodka and this Polish favourite, Krupnik, a Christmas flavoured vodka.

Today’s infusion is Rhubarb Gin,also called pink gin, and something you can get easily on the shelves in supermarkets and off licences. So why make your own? Because homemade is always going to be, well, we covered that right at the start of this post!

There are many, many recipes online on how to make it. Or any other fruit infused gin. However, as far as I’m concerned, there are no hard and fast ratios in making your own infused liqueurs. More fruit, less fruit, it’s a matter of taste. Or vegetable.

Because you know rhubarb is a vegetable, don’t you? With a split personality; it thinks it’s a fruit.

How to Make Rhubarb Gin at Home

All we do is:

1. Soak some rhubarb (and ginger, if using) in gin
2. Add sugar
3. Leave to proof for 4 weeks
4. Strain through a fine sieve, with or without muslin/coffee filter (ps: coffee filters take forever!)

Good Quality Gin

Get the best gin you can afford to make your rhubarb gin. That goes for all your homemade infused liqueurs. Cheap gin will give you a cheap tasting result. That doesn’t mean that you have to pay top dollar, do a little research to see what’s good in your price range. Like wine you plan to cook with, get something that you will enjoy drinking on its own and doesn’t taste like rubbish. I’m happy to use a good qualityLondon Dry Gin.

Rhubarb

Be sure to look for healthy stalks, the redder they are, the pinker your gin. however, your rhubarb gin will lose its colour over time, becoming slightly paler.

No Fresh Rhubarb?

Just use the same amount of frozen rhubarb. No need to thaw, infuse the gin with the rhubarb, as it is. In fact, there is an advantage to using frozen fruit (or vegetable, in this case), the skins are softer and easily split once they thaw, allowing better movement of flavours in and out of the fruit.

Ginger

Ginger has a natural affinity with rhubarb, and if you fancy making rhubarb and ginger gin, just add a large, thick stem of ginger. No need to peel, scrub well, slice and add to the bottle. About 200g (14 oz) will be perfect for the recipe here, for a very gingery rhubarb gin!

I’m going to give you 2 recipes, one for the long term, it will take a month to mature. The other, is for those of us who are impatient, and want everything NOW! In this second recipe, we roast the rhubarb to draw out its sweet flavours, and the gin will be ready to drink in 5 days.

How do you drink Rhubarb Gin?

• Straight up is sublime and spectacular!
• On ice is so, so smooth.
• In co*cktails – let your imagination run wild!

Rhubarb Gin co*cktails

Pink co*cktails are so pretty to look at, have you ever been mesmerised by beautiful pink co*cktail pictures? Well I have! And I’m not even that keen on pink! Here are some ideas:

Rhubarb Collins

So easy, click here for the recipe.

Rhubarb Gin Fizz

• 50ml (2 fluid oz) rhubarb gin
• handful ice cubes
• 2-3 strawberries
• top with 7-Up

Rhubarb Gimlet

• 50ml (2 fluid oz) rhubarb gin
• top with lime or lemon cordial

What to do with gin soaked rhubarb?

Gin soaked rhubarb is out of this world. I go weak at the knees with most alcohol soaked fruits, but gin soaked rhubarb is in a class of its own. What to do with it? You can:

• top ice cream with it – sundaes or layered ice cream made with gin soaked rhubarb are wonderful!
• have it with some mascarpone
• whip some double (thick) cream and have it that way
• make a cool rhubarb crumble with gin soaked rhubarb – bet you didn’t think of that!

Sterilising Jars and Bottles for our Rhubarb Gin

1. Turn the oven on to a cool130˚C/250˚F/Gas Mark ½.
2. Wash the jars, bottles and lids in hot soapy water.
3. Place the jars, bottles and lids upside down in the oven and leave them to dry, with the door closed for 15 minutes.
4. Turn the oven off and leave the jars, bottles and lids in there, bringing them out only when you are ready to fill. Be careful, as they’ll be hot.

Shall we get our aprons on?

Images from LinsFoodies