Recipe: Pok Pok’s Rhubarb Blush Cocktail

Combine killer spicy Thai food with the first few hot days of summer, and all you need to cool down is this simply delightful, little cocktail.

Pok Pok is a very popular Thai restaurant with spots in Portland, Oregon, and Brooklyn, New York. Both locations serve up fantastic flavors from Thailand with that mix of chile, garlicky, herb and sour flavors that just work perfectly together. Sticky rice, lots of pork dishes and dried fish make numerous appearances on the menu.

Mixing drinks with some of this seriously spicy food can be tricky. Alcohol increases the heat in your mouth which is why low- alcohol cold beers are usually the safe choice. However, on my visit to Brooklyn’s Pok Pok, I was in the mood for a cocktail, and lucky for me the drinks were as awesome as the food.

I ordered the Rhubarb Blush. It was sweet and sour and herbal — perfect for taming the heat of my dinner. Of course once back home, I had to re-create this sip. Finding myself suddenly enjoying the heat of a 90-degree day, happy hour was much more chill with a few Rhubarb Blush cocktails.

In a pinch, I used a lemon twist in lieu of an orange because it’s what I had on hand. Also if you don’t have rhubarb bitters, you should definitely get some! You can also make your own if you’re feeling crafty. Grab your shaker, this delicious cocktail can be all yours in no time.