Rhubarb Mojitos

A little piece of advice, when experimenting with cocktail recipes start with the non-alcohol version if you still want to be able to take photos by the time you get it right. I learned this the hard way with a margarita post last year. This year I started this project without the rum and slowly added it in once I had perfected the other flavors. The good thing about this approach is that I can tell you this flavor combination makes a great non-alcohol version as well. My original thought in making this drink was that the rhubarb syrup would replace the lime altogether. I was afraid the lime would overpower the Rhubarb, which it did when I added the full amount. Without the lime it felt like there was something missing, so in the end I added just a bit, a squeeze. The Rhubarb added a whole new dimension to the Mojito. I wasn't really sure it would make a huge difference, so I was really amazed when I took the first sip. If you are a fan of sweet/tart combinations, this is going to be your favorite drink this summer. One thing I did notice is that after the drink sat for a while it started to lose the pink color, so it might not be the best drink to make ahead of time or in large batches if you want to keep the vibrant pink color of the rhubarb. There are a lot of recipes for Mojitos out there and a lot of methods for making and drinking them. Feel free to share your tips and tricks in the comments section. This is the way I like to do it.

Rhubarb Mojito
this recipe makes one 16 ounce drink with ice

crushed ice in two additions
6-8 mint leaves (I like to tear the leaves before placing them in the glass)
2 ounces Rhubarb simple syrup
one squeeze of fresh lime juice from a small slice
2 ounces white rum
3 ounces club soda

*Disclaimer- I am a huge lightweight, adjust recipe to your preferences.
In a 16 ounce glass place a small handful of crushed ice (I use my blender to crush the ice), mint leaves, and rhubarb syrup. Using a muddler crush the ice with the mint until the mint is broken into small pieces. Sometime I actually use scissors to cut the mint into fine ribbons before placing it in the glass. This is probably not an acceptable method in the bar tending world, but I am not crazy about sucking up large pieces of mint. Add lime juice (go ahead and toss in the whole slice of lime if you like), rum, and club soda. Mix, taste, and adjust flavors to your liking. Fill the remainder of the glass with crushed ice. Mix with a straw until flavors are combined.
Alternate method: If you don't have a muddler you can place the small handful of ice, mint leaves, and rhubarb syrup in a blender, use the ice chop setting to break up the mint. You will have finer pieces of mint and most likely your drink will be a little muddier in color as the mint will discolor the syrup. It will still taste the same. Dump the contents of the blender into your glass and continue with the recipe above.