Orange Rhubarb Margaritas

These Orange Rhubarb Margaritas are the perfect tequila drink to enjoy on a sunny spring day. The rhubarb simple syrup can be made ahead of time so they can be whipped up in just a few minutes.

Spring produce has finally started to pop up at our local grocery stores and I couldn’t be more excited to move past root vegetables and hearty herbs! It’s still a touch early here for strawberries so I was excited to try a different fruit combo for this cocktail: oranges and rhubarb! It ended up being a perfect match since citrus is just on the verge of going out of season while rhubarb is starting to pop up at our markets.

I really love this time of year in the midwest because the sun seems to start to make an appearance more often than in the winter, the weather warms up enough to feel comfortable sitting on the porch, and the bugs aren’t bothering you just yet while you sit around outside. All this is to say that the ideal backdrop for these Orange Rhubarb Margaritas is a sunny, bug free spot on your porch where you can enjoy the cool fresh air and the birds chirping.

My recommendation is to make the simple syrup ahead of time so it’s all ready to go when you are ready to whip up a cocktail. This is because if you have the syrup ready then everything else comes together in just a few minutes. You should be able to store your rhubarb simple syrup in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a month. The syrup will also make more than you need for these 4 drinks so it’s very easy to scale this recipe up and down (and enjoy it for several weeks while you use up the syrup).

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Orange Rhubarb Margaritas

These Orange Rhubarb Margaritas are the perfect tequila drink to enjoy on a sunny spring day. The rhubarb simple syrup can be made ahead of time so they can be whipped up in just a few minutes.

Course: Drink

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Rhubarb Simple Syrup:

• 3 cups chopped rhubarb (from about 3 large rhubarb stalks)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water

Everything else:

• 9 oz freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 4 large or 6 small oranges)
• 2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 large or 4 small limes)
• 1 oz Grand Marnier or Triple Sec liquor
• 6 oz tequila
• 3 oz rhubarb simple syrup (recipe above)
• salt or sugar, for the rim of the glasses
• orange and/or lime slices, for garnish

Instructions

For the Rhubarb Simple Syrup:

1. Add 2 cups chopped rhubarb along with the sugar and water to a saucepan. Brig to a boil over high heat and then lower to medium-low heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat, uncover, add in the remaining 1 cup chopped rhubarb, and re-cover. Let steep for at least 20 minutes and then uncover and let cool completely.

3. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard the rhubarb solids (or save to put over yogurt or on ice cream). Set the syrup aside or transfer to an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Syrup should keep for up to one month in the fridge.

To make the cocktails:

1. Combine the orange juice, lime juice, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec, tequila, and 3 oz of rhubarb simple syrup in a small pitcher and stir to mix.

2. Place a small heaping pile of salt or sugar on a shallow plate. Rub one of the slices of garnish citrus along the rim of the 4 glasses and then dip the rims of the glasses in the sugar or salt to create a salt (or sugar) rim.

3. Add ice to each glass and then divide the margarita mixture evenly between the 4 glasses. Garnish with lime and/or orange slices and serve right away.

Make sure to tag Vegetarian ‘Ventures on Instagram and use #vegetarianventures when trying this dish out!