In the first of an ongoing series – where we twist the arms of various beverage aficionados – Frida Bistro’s Josh Marans shares a great drink recipe with us. Pictured left (click for larger image) is the El Ruibarbo, Frida’s entry in this years Salt Lake Magazine Cocktail Contest.
Josh wanted to keep their entry as local as possible, telling me, “for our Farm To Glass cocktail we wanted to do something extremely unique, using quintessential farm fresh ingredients: strawberry, rhubarb, and honey. The name of our drink is “El Ruibarbo” (rhubarb in Spanish) and is a strawberry/rhubarb margarita! We’re collaborating with Clifford Family Farm (honey), Zoe’s Natural Gardens (rhurbarb), and Wilkerson Farm (strawberries). We’re also using locally owned Vida tequila”.
Josh was kind enough to share the recipe with us, so you can get to crafting this special summery concotion ASAP:
Ingredients
6-8 stalks red rhubarb
pint of strawberries (more for pickling)
honey
lemons
limes
cinnamon sticks
tequila.
Directions
Start by making a rhubarb simple syrup (makes approximately 4 cups):
1. Take 6 cups of chopped rhubarb and combine in a sauce pan with 1.5 cups of water. Heat on medium-low for about 10 minutes, covered, until the rhubarb becomes soft and you begin to see the individual fibers coming apart. Remove from heat.
2. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the rhubarb fibers to release all of the juices and flavors. The remaining liquid should be bright pink.
3. Return the liquid to a sauce pan and add 2.5 cups of local honey along with 7-8 cinnamon sticks. Boil for about 10 minutes until all of the honey is incorporated. The cinnamon will release a great flavor into the syrup.
4. Remove from heat, and again, strain (or just remove the cinnamon sticks) and let cool. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice as a natural preservative. Also gives it a tart citrus kick.
Next you’ll make your strawberry mix:
1. Remove the tops from a pint of strawberries and cut each in half or quarters depending on the size.
2. Zest 2 medium-sized lemons (the ones you used for the juice – zest before juicing)!
3. Combine both in a blender/food processor with 1oz of freshly-squeezed lime juice (this will help the blending process, and serves as a natural preservative as well).
4. Blend until incorporated.
Now it’s time to make the margarita!
Fill a tumbler half way with ice and add:
1.5oz of Vida Reposado Tequila
3/4oz of Rhubarb Syrup
1 TBSP of Strawberry Mix
1/2oz of freshly-squeezed lime juice
Shake vigorously! Rim an old fashioned glass with a cinnamon/sugar mixture and add shaken margarita.
A final tip from Josh? “We’re garnishing our cocktail with a tequila-pickled strawberry (that recipe is a secret!), but a fresh strawberry, lime wedge, or your own version of a pickled strawberry will work great!”.
Of course you can also stop by Frida Bistro during the month of September to sample the full creation, secret pickled strawberries to boot! Or maybe hit up the wrap up party October 12th held in the Rico Warehouse too.
Cheers!
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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