Cocktail bar: Creamy Rhubarb and custard delight

Cocktail bar: Creamy Rhubarb and custard delight (Photo: Gemini)

The rhubarb and custard cocktail isn’t the invention of a single person; rather, it is a modern drink inspired by famous British treats, including the classic 19th-century dessert and the pink-and-yellow hard candies from the 1900s. One of the first well-known versions was created in 2002 by Simon Difford, who drew inspiration from the 1970s cartoon Roobarb and Custard. Today, you can find everything from simple “party shots” made with colourful liqueurs such as Advocaat and Chambord to sophisticated restaurant versions that use Greek yoghurt and vanilla to achieve that creamy custard taste. While recipes vary, they almost always feature rhubarb-flavoured gin or vodka mixed with something sweet and creamy to recreate the nostalgic flavour.

INGREDIENTS:

For the rhubarb syrup

Castor sugar (85g)

Chopped rhubarb (300g)

For the cocktail

Vodka (100ml)

Rhubarb (100ml)

Rhubarb Syrup (use the recipe above)

1 length of Rhubarb.

Advocaat (30ml)

Lemonade (75ml)

METHOD:

Step 1

Start by making the rhubarb syrup by adding the caster sugar into a saucepan filled with water(75ml). Then heat the saucepan gently until the sugar disappears but the water doesn’t bubble. Now, throw in the chopped rhubarb and cover it using a fitting lid. You can increase the heat but not too much for it to begin boiling. Let it simmer for about five minutes while it remains covered until the rhubarb is very tender. However, don’t let it tenderise until it disintegrates.

Step 2

Once good and ready, turn off the heat and pour the contents of the pan into a sieve placed over a bowl. To squeeze the rhubarb in order to get the juices with no pulp, you can use a wooden spoon. Then put the saucepan onto the heat and let it boil until it becomes syrupy. Now pour into a jug and let it cool completely.

Step 3

Chill your preferred cocktail glasses in the freezer or with ice. Shake 100ml of vodka with the rhubarb syrup and ice cubes until well combined and cold. Using a vegetable peeler, cut small rhubarb shreds and place them in iced water. This will make them curl — perfect for garnishing.

Step 4.

In a separate jug, whisk together the Advocaat and lemonade with extra ice cubes. Strain the vodka and rhubarb mixture into two glasses, catching the ice cubes with a sieve.

Step 5.

As you wind up, pour the advocaat mixture (25ml) into each separate glass over an upside-down spoon. The advocaat mixture should float on the surface of the vodka syrup mixture. Finally, drain the rhubarb shreds you had prepared earlier and use them to garnish the cocktail. Garnishing is not mandatory, but it is recommended to make the cocktails more appealing.

Recipe adapted from the BBC Good Food team, featured in Good Food Magazine, 2013.

Enjoy!