Pok Pok's Rhubarb Blush Cocktail

Pok Pok Ny's Rhubarb Blush is sweet, tart, and tangy—the perfect foil for a meal of spicy Thai food.

The Rhubarb Blush cocktail in a glass.

Courtesy of Allan Zepeda

Why It Works

  • Using a London Dry gin balances the sweetness of the rhubarb bitters (which contain sugar) and the Aperol.

"People tend to be very specific about what they will and won't drink, but often people who never drink gin enjoy this," says Alex Mirkin of Pok Pok Ny's Rhubarb Blush. "The gin here is something that you don't notice, but you would miss if it wasn't there."

Mirkin uses a London dry gin; it balances out the sweetness of rhubarb bitters and Aperol. "Campari would be too headstrong here. The Aperol and lime play well into this bright sweetness." A muted, orangey pink, the Rhubarb Blush is like a lovely liquid SweeTart.

The rhubarb drink being poured from a cocktail shaker into a glass.

Serious Eats

Mirkin notes that Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters, which contain sugar, are more of a "flavoring," than a straight bitter. Though he often favors the rhubarb bitters from Brooklyn Hemispherical, he prefers Fee Brothers here, in tandem with the Campari and lime.

An orange being cut, with a Rhubarb Blush cocktail on the bar underneath it.

Serious Eats

He takes a few extra seconds to make his orange twist into a springy curlicue. "This doesn't need orange zest, but I like the giant curl of orange because when it's just cut, it gives the drink a great citrus aroma."

September 2012

Recipe Details

Pok Pok's Rhubarb Blush Cocktail

Active 4 mins
Total 4 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce London dry gin

  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice from about 2 limes

  • 1 ounce Aperol

  • 1 dash Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters

  • Garnish: orange twist

Directions

  1. In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, lime juice, Aperol and bitters. Fill shaker with ice and shake until fully chilled, about 15 seconds.

  2. Pour drink, ice included, into glass and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Special Equipment

Shaker, channel knife, 12-ounce rocks glass

Notes

Pok Pok's Alex Mirkin used Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters, but you may want to make your own at home.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
143 Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 143
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 11mg 56%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 38mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)