Sometimes Foodie: What Rhymes with Rhubarb?

Cawston Press Rhubarb - Aldi

Rhubarb is not something I grew up eating. In fact, I didn't even know it existed until one day when my uncle's neighbor brought over a strawberry and rhubarb pie that I absolutely fell in love with. It looks like pink celery, but tastes tangy and sour. It blew my tiny little mind.

I have a hard time finding rhubarb and rhubarb-flavored-things, so when I do spot it it's an automatic "in-the-cart" item.

The packaging manages to be simple, yet busy at the same time. The white background helps detract from all the illustration and typography, which is playful, but also feels claustrophobic. It's cute enough to have caught my eye, but it doesn't feel like it's reached its final form just yet.

When poured, we can see that the drink is a light, but foggy, amber color, and it smells like tart sparkling apple juice. I'm a little disappointed that this isn't pink, but the can boasts that they use "no added sugars, artificial sweeteners, no colorings, and no GMO." So rather than using dye to achieve the perfect rhubarb-pinkness, I can appreciate that the brand opted for a more natural route.

It took me a few sips before I could really make up my mind about it. Right off the bat it is tart, which is typical for rhubarb, but it has a crisp and slightly sweet apple finish with a light touch of carbonation. As far as the rhubarb is concerned, the flavoring is very accurate, it's light, tart, and a little bitter, which is balanced nicely with the hint of sweet apple juice. At times it seems like the apple is a little overpowering, and this comes off as a tangy sour apple beverage, but other sips have the rhubarb shining brightly in all it's sour glory. I wasn't 100% sure what to expect when I bought this stuff, but I am certainly happy that it's so light, tangy, and refreshing.

This is more flavorful than seltzer, since it does contain real fruit juice, and less bubbly. Still, I would say this is a beverage only seltzer drinkers, or sour beer/beverage lovers, would enjoy. If I drank this 5 years ago I might not have liked it at all, but in my 30's I've grown to enjoy drinking seltzer and the few alcoholic drinks I do like lean towards sour or bitter, so for me, this is perfect for summer sipping.

Honestly, I've been drinking these like a person would normally drink beer. I come home after work, crack a can open and drink it ice cold with a side of salty, garlicy, Aldi Pub Pretzels. (One of my favorite Aldi special buys. Do yourself a favor and stock up when you see them. I currently have 3 bags.) It's been a really nice summer ritual. The only problem is this was a limited time buy, so once it's gone, I don't know where I can get more. If you do happen to see this around, and you like sour drinks, I highly recommend giving it a try!