I saw some fresh Rhubarb at the grocery store last week.  Having never cooked with it, I decided to seek out some recipes for inspiration and ran into this one and thought, “Why not?”

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz OYO vodka, proudly made in Columbus, OH (spring for the good stuff!)
• 1.5 oz. rhubarb syrup (recipe below)
• a tiny queeze of lemon juice
• ice
• club soda

In a rocks glass, pour in the vodka and rhubarb syrup over ice. I’m quite serious about the OYO vodka–I promise you’ve never tasted anything like it. Squeeze over a bit of fresh lemon juice–you want the liveliness of the lemon, not the tartness; the rhubarb has plenty of tartness already.  Top with club soda and stir to combine.  Adjust sweetness with either simple syrup or rhubarb syrup depending on your taste.

Rhubarb Syrup

Ingredients:

• 5-6 stalks of rhubarb, washed and cut into 1″ pieces
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.  Cool and strain in a colander set over a bowl.  Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer and save for cocktails.