Sparkling Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail

Savor the first drops of summer with a sparkling strawberry rhubarb cocktail. This bubbly beverage has the most bright and inviting flavor! It’s no wonder strawberry and rhubarb are a match made in heaven!

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Sparkling Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail recipe

It’s rhubarb season, so we’re making cocktails!

The first time I tried rhubarb was on my aunt and uncle’s farm when my aunt made me a rhubarb pie with fruit from her garden. I’ll never forget those first tastes of sweet-and-sour, tart-and-tangy flavors tucked inside a flaky pie crust. There is just nothing like a strawberry rhubarb pie in the early summer, if you ask me.

Often the filling for a strawberry rhubarb pie is made on the stove by stewing together the rhubarb stalks, strawberry slices, sugar and water to make a thick mixture. It’s then poured into a pie crust and topped with a lattice design before baking. I love it served with a layer of custard, whipped cream or plain vanilla ice cream.

For this sparkling homemade strawberry rhubarb cocktail, I drew upon the flavors of that very pie. By making a strawberry rhubarb simple syrup with that stewing process, you get a delicious syrup that you can top with bubbly champagne or prosecco for a stunning libation.

More sparkling cocktails: Lemon Champagne Punch • Champagne Moscow Mule • Rosemary Champagne Cocktail

Why you’ll love this recipe

While rhubarb is not necessarily the most wildly known and used, it is so easy to love once you try it! You’ll enjoy every last sip of this tart, sweet and fizzy drink:

• The best part of this cocktail is that you can get a head start on the recipe ahead of a party. Then your guests can say cheers with a fresh and bubbly beverage that you didn’t have to spend the whole party making!
• You can easily make this a non-alcoholic cocktail. Use sparkling grape juice or apple juice and you’ve got a bubbly and fun drink without all of the alcohol.
• A strawberry rhubarb cocktail is delightfully refreshing and light. A great cocktail to serve at parties or sip by the pool on a hot summer day!

This delicious little cocktail has the most beautiful soft pink hue too, making it perfect for elegant parties.

Tools & glassware 

I have made this drink in both champagne glasses and coupe glasses. Both will work, so use whichever cocktail glasses you want!

You will also need a large to medium saucepan to make the syrup, a wooden spoon, and a fine mesh sieve.

To make the cocktail, make sure you have a jigger to measure the syrup and a vegetable peeler to create the rhubarb ribbon garnish.

Ingredients

You will need a few simple ingredients to make a tart strawberry rhubarb cocktail. So take note of this list so that you have everything you need:

For the syrup:

• fresh rhubarb
• strawberries
• sugar
• water

For the cocktail:

• strawberry rhubarb simple syrup
• lemon juice
• champagne or prosecco
• strawberry, for garnish

Substitutions & variations

If you are unable to locate fresh rhubarb, you can use frozen! The same goes for strawberries — feel free to use frozen berries instead of fresh.

Add an extra tart bite to this drink with a little fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice.

Unsure of what champagne or prosecco to use? Then check out my champagne 101 guide to find the best option for this cocktail.

Strawberry rhubarb syrup instructions

There are two separate steps to making this sweet cocktail. You’ll need to make the strawberry rhubarb syrup and then you can build the cocktail!

It’s essentially a cross between my strawberry syrup and rhubarb syrup. Follow these instructions to make this cocktail perfectly every time:

Add rhubarb chunks, strawberries and water to a large saucepan. (There are no berries in this picture — it is good without them too!) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the rhubarb has softened.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and then pour the rhubarb mixture in to strain out the chunks. Add gentle pressure to ensure all of the liquid is drained out, then stir in the sugar until dissolved. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to cool.

Once cool, transfer the syrup to a glass jar. Then use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a month.

Leftover syrup? Use it in a mojito or margarita! There’s plenty of room for creativity.

Rhubarb cocktail instructions

Before making your cocktail, make the rhubarb ribbon as a garnish. I made this by running a vegetable peeler against a long piece of rhubarb stalk until I had some pretty, thin, evenly-sized ribbons. (Note: A ribbon of rhubarb may not work in a coupe glass.)

Add one ounce of strawberry rhubarb syrup into a champagne flute or coupe glass. Then top with lemon juice.

Then top with bubbly champagne or your favorite prosecco. Place that ribbon-like garnish into the champagne glass and then serve and enjoy!

Food pairings

This bright and fruity cocktail goes well with so many different appetizers! Serve it with a charcuterie board or some delicious marinated cheese for a fun snack. Some caprese skewers or tasty bruschetta would be wonderful options for an elegant party.

For little bite sized sweet and savory apps, serve cranberry brie bites alongside this rhubarb cocktail.

If you don’t want to make an appetizer, then grab some shrimp cocktail at the grocery store. It’d go great with this beverage!

And of course, it’s great with a rhubarb dessert! Serve up some strawberry rhubarb pie or strawberry rhubarb crumb bars with vanilla ice cream.

Tips & tricks

Check out these basic tips and tricks so that your cocktail turns out 100% perfect:

• Feel free to add more or less simple syrup depending on how sweet you like your cocktails to be. You can always add more later, so try not to use too much syrup right off the bat!
• It is important to use a strainer made from fine mesh so that no solids from the cooked-down fruit escape into the syrup.
• Don’t add the champagne until just before serving! This will ensure that the bubbles stay crisp and bright for each cocktail.

FAQ

Strawberries and rhubarb are nearing the end of their season, so head to the farmers’ market and hop on this cocktail soon. And if you have any leftover rhubarb after this recipe, then try my rhubarb sour!

More strawberry cocktails

• Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
• Strawberry Mimosas
• Strawberry Basil Margarita
• Strawberry Mule