Rhubarb-Fennel Gin Cocktail

Oh so yummy!  I love Gin, and this is a great refreshing drink with wonderful balance between sweet and sour. 

It takes advance preparation, since the vermouth is infused with the fennel, and a minimum of two days is required.  Also, the rhubarb mixture needs to be cooked and chilled.

For making the rhubarb curl, I tried 3 different implements.  I tried a mandolin, a vertical potato peeler and a horizontal potato peeler.  I found that with such a long vegetable the horizontal potato peeler works best.   Drop the curls into ice cold water to get the curl, crisp.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit, April 2016

Ingredients

SERVINGS: MAKES 8

• ¼ fennel bulb, untrimmed, coarsely chopped
• 1 375-ml bottle dry vermouth (preferably Dolin)
• 1 large rhubarb stalk, thinly sliced, plus more, shaved, for serving
• ½ cup sugar
• ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¾ cup gin (preferably Fords  
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• Preparation

• Combine fennel and vermouth in a glass container (save vermouth bottle). Cover and chill 2 days. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve back into bottle.

• Bring rhubarb, sugar, and ½ cup water to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture is pink and slightly syrupy, 14–16 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth (you should have about ½ cup rhubarb purée).

• Combine 12 oz. fennel-infused vermouth, rhubarb purée, lemon juice, gin, and 2 cups ice in a large pitcher. Stir until cold. Pour cocktail into ice-filled old-fashioned glasses and garnish with shaved rhubarb.

• Do Ahead: Vermouth can be infused and rhubarb purée can be made 1 week ahead; cover and chill separately.

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