Step 1

Place the rhubarb, sugar, water, and your choice of flavorings into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly so the mixture continues to boil gently for 15 to 25 minutes, or until it's reduced by nearly half. The rhubarb will break down and the liquid will get syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

Step 2

When the syrup has cooled, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving both the syrup and the stringy rhubarb solids. Transfer the syrup to a storage container with a lid and stash it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. As for the strained rhubarb, it might look stringy and spent, but it's bursting with a sweet tart flavor that goes spectacularly atop yogurt, muesli, toast, and ice cream.

Step 3

Combine the gin, rhubarb syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into 2 small coupe glasses. Garnish with lemon, if desired.