Rhubarb isn’t just for pies and crisps. It makes a delightful addition to cocktails. If you’re not a rhubarb lover, it’s likely a textural issue. In this recipe, you make a simple syrup with the rhubarb. As the name implies, it’s really easy! Chopped rhubarb, water, sugar and lemon zest are simmered in a pot for about 10 minutes. Once the rhubarb has finished infusing, strain out the solids and keep the gorgeous pink syrup in a jar in the fridge for at least a month.

In addition to cocktails, the syrup would be delicious brushed onto cake layers for a strawberry cake, drizzled onto ice cream for a sundae or even just mixed into soda water for a refreshing drink.

While I don’t enjoy drinking cocktails, I adore styling and shooting them. This one was inspired by a recipe I found online for Fizzy Pink Rhubarb Lemonade. Thanks to Redpath Sugar for the spark.

When I was envisioning this shoot, I pictured two cocktails in the foreground with a gin bottle, out of focus in the background. The only gin we had in the house was in a black opaque bottle. That was not in keeping with the light and airy spring vibe I was trying to create. I found this gorgeous bottle at the LCBO.

My husband inquired as to why I bought more gin, when we already had a full bottle. He just smiled and nodded at my aesthetic explanation. Smiling and nodding is the secret to our 36 year marriage. Plus, he gets to drink the cocktail at the end of the shoot, so no complaints from him.

I used a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of rhubarb as a garnish. If you put them in a container of cold water overnight, they curl up into a pretty garnish. Or, you could just decorate the glass with a slice or wedge of lemon.