This is the cocktail we serve during the spring and summer at Ballyvolane House as the rhubarb is in season and we grow it in our walled-garden. A couple of Rhubarb Martinis before dinner promises lively conversation throughout dinner. They are absolutely delicious and very easy to make.

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Ingredients for rhubarb syrup

• 1lb caster sugar
• 1 pint water
• 1 tea spoon fresh root ginger
• 1 bunch (2 to 2.5lb) rhubarb (normally sold by the bunch)

Method

Boil the sugar and water to make a sugar syrup. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the chopped rhubarb (2 inches long) and grated ginger and poach gently until the rhubarb is soft.

Allow to cool for one hour and strain the rhubarb through a sieve. You can use the poached rhubarb for puddings and breakfast. Decant the remaining rhubarb syrup through a funnel into a bottle and store in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. It freezes really well too.

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Ingredients for 2 Rhubarb Martinis

• 3 shots / 105.5 mls Bertha’s Revenge Gin
• 2 shots / 71 mls rhubarb syrup
• 1/2 shot / 17.75 mls fresh lime juice
• 4 lumps ice
• 1 cocktail shaker
• 1 cocktail strainer
• 2 Martini glasses

Method

Chill the Martini glasses in the freezer or fill them with ice and a squirt of water for 10 minutes.

When using a cocktail shaker, try to avoid overfilling the shaker with ice as if you do, you won’t get the right texture or dilution. Put all the ingredients together into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. The shaking process will aerate the cocktail giving the cocktail a lovely texture.

Pour the Rhubarb Martini through a cocktail strainer into the chilled Martini glasses. Sip enthusiastically but sensibly!

(Pic by Dave McClelland)