Pok Pok's Rhubarb Blush Cocktail

Pok Pok Ny's Rhubarb Blush is sweet, tart, and tangy—the perfect foil for a meal of spicy Thai food.

By
Jaclyn Einis
Jaclyn Einis is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jaclyn Einis is a content strategist and former freelance writer who contributed cocktail recipes to Serious Eats and wrote about New York beer for offMetro.
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Updated April 10, 2023
The Rhubarb Blush cocktail in a glass.

Courtesy of Allan Zepeda

Why It Works

  • Using a London Dry gin balances the sweetness of the rhubarb bitters (which contain sugar) and the Aperol.

"People tend to be very specific about what they will and won't drink, but often people who never drink gin enjoy this," says Alex Mirkin of Pok Pok Ny's Rhubarb Blush. "The gin here is something that you don't notice, but you would miss if it wasn't there."

Mirkin uses a London dry gin; it balances out the sweetness of rhubarb bitters and Aperol. "Campari would be too headstrong here. The Aperol and lime play well into this bright sweetness." A muted, orangey pink, the Rhubarb Blush is like a lovely liquid SweeTart.

The rhubarb drink being poured from a cocktail shaker into a glass.

Serious Eats

Mirkin notes that Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters, which contain sugar, are more of a "flavoring," than a straight bitter. Though he often favors the rhubarb bitters from Brooklyn Hemispherical, he prefers Fee Brothers here, in tandem with the Campari and lime.

An orange being cut, with a Rhubarb Blush cocktail on the bar underneath it.

Serious Eats

He takes a few extra seconds to make his orange twist into a springy curlicue. "This doesn't need orange zest, but I like the giant curl of orange because when it's just cut, it gives the drink a great citrus aroma."

September 2012

Recipe Details

Pok Pok's Rhubarb Blush Cocktail Recipe

Active 4 mins
Total 4 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce London dry gin

  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice from about 2 limes

  • 1 ounce Aperol

  • 1 dash Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters

  • Garnish: orange twist

Directions

  1. In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, lime juice, Aperol and bitters. Fill shaker with ice and shake until fully chilled, about 15 seconds.

  2. Pour drink, ice included, into glass and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Special Equipment

Shaker, channel knife, 12-ounce rocks glass

Notes

Pok Pok's Alex Mirkin used Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters, but you may want to make your own at home.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
143Calories
0gFat
13gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories143
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 11mg56%
Calcium 7mg1%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 38mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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