National Rhubarb Vodka Day

Categories:: Food & Beverage
Tags:: Cocktail Drinking Liquor
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: First Saturday of December
Holiday emoji:: 🍸

National Rhubarb Vodka Day lights up the calendar every first Saturday of December. This vibrant day celebrates the unique, tart-sweet flavor of rhubarb-infused vodka, a delightful spirit for cocktail enthusiasts. Mix up a pink drink, explore new recipes, and toast to this distinctive botanical blend.

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Expected National Rhubarb Vodka Day Deals

While we wait for official 2027 promotions to drop, history shows that distilleries and liquor stores often offer special deals on rhubarb vodka. Look for discounts from brands like Maple River Distillery, Stolichnaya (for their flavored vodkas), and local craft producers. Bars and restaurants may feature limited-time rhubarb vodka cocktails. Retailers like Total Wine & More and BevMo! could run sales on related ingredients or mixers. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as December 4 approaches.

Platform Guide for National Rhubarb Vodka Day

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #RhubarbVodkaDay. Film a quick tutorial for your favorite rhubarb vodka cocktail or a taste test of different brands.

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #RhubarbVodkaDay. Share visually appealing photos of your rhubarb vodka creations, from infused spirits to vibrant cocktails.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #RhubarbVodkaDay. Share your favorite rhubarb vodka recipes or host a virtual tasting party with friends.

National Rhubarb Vodka Day Hero

Maple River Distillery

Maple River Distillery, based in North Dakota, is credited with establishing National Rhubarb Vodka Day. They launched this unique observance to celebrate their distinctive rhubarb vodka, crafted from locally grown rhubarb. The distillery's initiative highlights the versatility of rhubarb as a botanical ingredient in spirits and encourages enthusiasts to explore its sweet and tart profile in cocktails.

History of National Rhubarb Vodka Day

The cocktail comprises equal parts of vodka and rhubarb syrup and is garnished with lemon peel. The syrup is made using sugar, water, and chopped rhubarb stalks, giving it its signature pink color.

Rhubarb is a vegetable that is popularly used to make jams and jellies. The leaves are poisonous, but they can be eaten safely if cooked properly. Rhubarb is a plant that belongs to the family Rosaceae and is native to China and Siberia. The plant has red stalks with green leaves and can grow up to three feet. The tartness of rhubarb makes it an excellent ingredient for many drinks, including cocktails, liqueurs, jellies, and baked goods like pies, tarts, and compotes.

The rhubarb flavor can be described as sweet-tart or sour and is often considered an acquired taste because it tastes like a combination of strawberry and apple pie. Rhubarb has been used for centuries to treat respiratory ailments such as asthma and bronchitis and stomach ailments such as diarrhea and constipation.

The rhubarb vodka has a sweet taste from its sugar content and an earthy flavor from its rhubarb infusion. It can be enjoyed neat, on ice, or in a cocktail like Moscow Mule or Bloody Mary. National Rhubarb Vodka Day has been celebrated every first Saturday of December since 2013. This has been a day of celebration for cocktail enthusiasts who enjoy rhubarb’s acidity when combined with vodka. Maple River Distillery introduced this combination in 2010 in the U.S.

National Rhubarb Vodka Day timeline

1430

The First Vodka Recipe

A monk named Isidore from Chudov Monastery inside the Moscow Kremlin makes a recipe for the first Russian vodka.

1730s

Rhubarb in the U.S.

John Bartram grows medicinal and culinary rhubarb in Philadelphia

1837

A New Variety Of Rhubarb

Queen Victoria ascends the throne in England and a new variety of rhubarb is introduced.

2010

Rhubarb Vodka Introduced

Rhubarb Vodka is introduced in the United States of America by Maple River Distillery

How Businesses Can Celebrate National Rhubarb Vodka Day

Local bars and restaurants can celebrate National Rhubarb Vodka Day by featuring special rhubarb vodka cocktails on their menus, perhaps with a creative twist or limited-time pricing. Liquor stores can create dedicated displays for rhubarb vodka brands, offering tasting events or pairing suggestions with mixers. Distilleries, especially craft operations, can host open houses or workshops on infusing spirits, showcasing the process of making rhubarb vodka and its versatility in mixology.

National Rhubarb Vodka Day FAQs

When is National Rhubarb Vodka Day?

National Rhubarb Vodka Day 2026 falls on Saturday, December 5, inviting cocktail lovers to mix up a vibrant, tart-sweet drink. It’s the perfect occasion to experiment with this unique spirit.

What is rhubarb vodka?

Rhubarb vodka is a spirit infused with rhubarb, imparting a sweet, tart flavor and often a bright pink hue. It’s a popular choice for cocktails, offering a unique botanical twist to traditional vodka drinks.

How popular is rhubarb vodka?

While not as ubiquitous as classic vodkas, rhubarb vodka has gained a dedicated following among craft cocktail enthusiasts and those seeking unique flavor profiles. Its popularity continues to grow as more distilleries experiment with botanical infusions.

What are the benefits of rhubarb?

Beyond its culinary appeal, rhubarb is known for its high fiber content and rich supply of vitamins K and C. Historically, it has also been recognized for its medicinal properties, particularly as a digestive aid.

National Rhubarb Vodka Day Activities

Make your vodka with fresh rhubarb
You can make your rhubarb vodka by adding whole rhubarb stalks or chunks of rhubarb into the bottle along with sugar and yeast, or you can macerate fresh rhubarb in sugar water overnight before steeping it in vodka, or you can make simple syrup by simmering equal parts of sugar and water until dissolved, then adding sliced fresh rhubarb for a few hours before straining out solids.
Host a party
Host an outdoor party at your house or garden to enjoy summertime fun! You can use rhubarb vodka as an ingredient in some of your favorite summer drinks, such as sangria or punch bowls with fruit salad
Cook with rhubarb vodka
If you're not ready to drink rhubarb vodka, there are plenty of other ways to use it around your home! You can use it in sauces or marinades for meat dishes, like beef stew or chicken wings. You can also use it to enhance desserts like cheesecakes by mixing it into the mixture.

5 Surprising Facts About Vodka

It’s from a Slavic word
Vodka is derived from the Slavic word 'voda,' which means water.
What vodka is made from
Most vodkas are distilled from grains, potatoes, or sugar beets, but some are also made from rye.
Most widely consumed
Vodka is the world's most widely consumed spirit drink, with about 38 billion gallons worldwide.
Drinking vodka in Poland
In Poland, vodka is often drunk with pickled cucumbers or apple juice.
It contains 40% alcohol
Vodka contains 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof), which makes it stronger than wine and beer but weaker than whiskey or brandy.

Why We Love National Rhubarb Vodka Day

It raises awareness
The day is celebrated to raise awareness about rhubarb's uses and benefits. It is also held to promote the consumption of this plant for good health.
Grateful for new flavors
This day makes us feel grateful for its taste. The smoothness of vodka balances the sweetness of rhubarb, and you can find several recipes for using rhubarb vodka as a base for other drinks.
We get to show appreciation
It is a day to give appreciation to those who took the time to discover this combination. We love new and exciting drinks.