The first time I made iced rhubarb tea, I honestly expected it to taste aggressively sour and weirdly vegetal. I only tried it because I had extra rhubarb sitting in the fridge after baking and didn’t want it turning into science project mush in the crisper drawer.

Turns out, once rhubarb simmers down with a little sugar, it makes one of the freshest summer drinks I’ve had in a long time. It’s lightly tart, slightly fruity, and way more refreshing than overly sweet bottled iced tea.

Why This Recipe Works

Here’s the thing with rhubarb drinks: they can get overpoweringly tart fast if there isn’t enough balance. What I figured out is that simmering the rhubarb gently instead of boiling it aggressively gives the tea a cleaner flavor without turning bitter.

A little sugar smooths everything out, but the drink still tastes crisp and refreshing instead of syrupy. You can also adjust the sweetness really easily depending on how tart your rhubarb is.

Ingredient Notes

Fresh rhubarb stalks work best here. I usually use the redder stalks because the color turns prettier naturally.

You can swap sugar for stevia if you prefer, but start small because some stevia brands get overly sweet quickly once chilled.

Filtered water makes a noticeable difference in simple drinks like this where there aren’t many ingredients hiding the flavor.

How to Make It

Start by washing and chopping the rhubarb into small pieces. No need to peel it.

Add the rhubarb, water, and sugar to a saucepan and bring everything to a gentle simmer. The rhubarb softens surprisingly fast and starts turning the water light pink after a few minutes.

Let it simmer until the rhubarb breaks down completely and the liquid smells slightly fruity and tart.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher, pressing lightly on the softened rhubarb to extract more flavor. I made the mistake once of pressing too hard and ended up with cloudy tea, so now I go easier.

Chill the tea completely before serving over plenty of ice.

Things I Learned the Hard Way

Don’t boil the rhubarb too hard or the flavor can become sharper and slightly bitter.

Taste the tea after chilling because cold drinks always taste less sweet than warm ones. Sometimes I add another small spoonful of sugar after refrigeration.

And don’t leave the rhubarb sitting in the liquid too long after cooking or the tea becomes murkier.

Storage & Serving Suggestions

Store iced rhubarb tea in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

I usually serve it with lemon slices, fresh strawberries, or mint if I have some around. It’s especially good on hot afternoons when regular iced tea feels too heavy.

Lyna Recipes