Australian-made rhubarb aperitif brand RHUBI is kicking off the ‘#JustAddRHUBI’ secret sauce challenge led by co-founder and former Diageo World Class Australia winner Evan Stroeve. 

RHUBI is an apertif that pays homage to the largely overlooked classic Normandy French style of fortified wine, Mistelle – a drink traditionally made from grapes, pears or apples, pairing a fermented fruit wine with a spirit made of the same ingredient, sometimes with a little sugar and botanicals added.

The creation has been crafted from locally-grown rhubarb in Victoria then coupled with juniper, gentian, grapefruit and mandarin. The creation also contains less additional sugar and alcohol (ABV 18%) than the majority of its competitors in the market.

The nationwide competition calls on venues and their bartenders across Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth) to Just Add RHUBI as a ‘secret sauce’ in their cocktail making. 

Stroeve said: “The ‘#JustAddRHUBI’ secret sauce challenge came about because we wanted to build on the simplicity of our “Just Add Soda” cocktail formula. This challenge is all about celebrating the versatility and ease of switching out key ingredients for RHUBI in classic cocktails. We can’t wait for Aussies to enjoy RHUBI in their favourite Margarita, Cosmo, Sour, or Negroni, especially with the hot summer days coming up fast!”  

Stroeve will sharing a series of his favourite #JustAddRHUBI cocktail recipes on RHUBI’s social media accounts, including a Rhubarb Margarita and Rhubarb Negroni. 

For an extra dose of inspiration, industry legend and venue owner of Door Knock, Nat Ng is also creating her own ‘secret sauce’ cocktail that will be released across RHUBI’s socials in the coming weeks.

Vanguard venues and bartenders (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth) are encouraged to post their ‘secret sauce’ cocktail on Instagram with #JustAddRHUBI and tag @rhubimistelle.

A winning bartender will be selected from each state (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth). They will receive $500 and RHUBI merchandise. The winning venues from each city will receive an exclusive bespoke “Day Out with RHUBI” valued at $1000, and a RHUBI stock contribution. 

Head to rhubimistelle.com.au to find out more about the ‘#JustAddRHUBI’ secret sauce challenge.