Rhubarb in a glass

The Slice of Spring is made with strawberry and rhubarb infused Pisco. (WENDY MAEDA/GLOBE STAFF)

Rhubarb is known for its "medicinal, cathartic qualities and unique tartness," according to West Side Lounge bartender Dave Werthman. So why wouldn't bars want to incorporate the spring vegetable into this season's cocktail lists?

Werthman's effort, the Rhubarb Sour (fresh rhubarb puree, Sauza tequila, St. Germain liqueur, fresh lime juice; $9) is an extraordinarily efficient vehicle for smuggling tequila over your taste borders. They cook down the rhubarb with a little sugar to keep it nice and tart, but the drink gets its more elegant, background sweetness from the St. Germain.

The inspiration for Rialto bartender Jonathan Stoeckle's rhubarb drink, Slice of Spring (strawberry and rhubarb infused Pisco, Moscato d'Asti; $14), was his grandmother's strawberry-rhubarb pie. The strawberries and rhubarb are cooked with a touch of orange juice and sugar, Stoeckle explained, till everything is soft. The mixture is soaked in pisco, the South American brandy, for a week and a half. The cocktail is served over ice in an oversized wine glass with a sugared stalk of rhubarb; it gives off a beautiful strawberry bouquet and has a sweet fizz from the Moscato. A second option not on the menu (but feel free to ask) is Stoeckle's Pisco Sour, made by shaking the infused pisco with lime juice, sugar, and egg white ($11). It's a fluffy, layered cupcake of a cocktail.

At Union Bar and Grille, our new favorite plant shows up in Rain on the Rhubarb (Hendrick's gin, fresh rhubarb infused simple syrup, Aperol; $12). Served up in a frosted martini glass, the bitter Aperol and fresh cucumber flavor of the gin enhance the rhubarb for a crisp but slightly sweet vegetable combo.

Union Bar and Grille, 1357 Washington St., Boston. 617-423-0555. unionrestaurant.com Rialto, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge. 617-661-5050. rialto-restaurant.com West Side Lounge, 1680 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 617-441-5566. westsidelounge.com. Rialto, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge. 617-661-5050. rialto-restaurant.co. West Side Lounge, 1680 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 617-441-5566. westsidelounge.com

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