Blackberry Shrub is a a delicious drinking vinegar. This shrub recipe is dreamy when added to club soda or used in cocktails. Here it is paired with club soda and a spirit for a dreamy easy sipping cocktail.
The hardest part of making any shrub is the wait until the flavours have meld into what works best for your personal taste. The tart vinegar with the sugar and berries is an amazing addition to any cocktail or mocktail. My only regret is not discovering this idea sooner in my pregnancy.
Each pregnancy comes with a craving for carbonated bevies. Enter the non-alcoholic beers and lots of club soda. This shrub is going to sail me through the end of this pregnancy nicely.
What is a shrub?
A shrub is a drinking vinegar that has been fermented. Berries are covered in boiled vinegar and sugar, and left to ferment for 4 days to allow all the flavours to meld together. A non-alcoholic syrup that is good for your tummy thanks to the fermentation process.
Shrubs are usually acidic and not too sweet, which makes them a great base for mocktails and cocktails.
What do you need to make a shrub recipe?
Making a shrub is actually one of the easiest fermentation / preserving processes in my opinion. You need a berry, vinegar, and sugar to make the syrup base. That’s it! A pot to boil the vinegar and sugar in, and a container to let the vinegar and sugar ferment the berries.
I find making shrubs are a great way to use up any lingering berries that you might not get too (or that are too sour, soft, etc.), a nice way to avoid food waste.
I used blackberries as they been extremely sweet and juicy this year. Use whichever berries work best for you and some other fruit could work really well if you’re willing to take a risk on it.
I also think rhubarb would be amazing too. I actually now have to go make this with rhubarb. It sounds possibly too good to be true.
Need more blackberries in your life? Here are a few ideas:
Blackberry Shrub is a a delicious drinking vinegar that is so dreamy when added to club soda or used in cocktails. Here it is paired with club soda and a spirit for a dreamy easy sipping cocktail made from a blackberry shrub recipe.
- 1.5 cups blackberries, or any berry of your choice
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 8-10 cups club soda
- Optional: spirits of your choice such as gin or vodka
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Place blackberries in a 1 ltr jar. Bring sugar and vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.
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Pour hot vinegar mixture over berries and mix with a fork, crushing berries gently to release more flavor. Seal jar and store in a cool dark place 4 days.
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Strain shrub through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean jar; cover and chill. Check shrub every week or so until vinegar flavor mellows to your liking.
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For each drink, combine 3 tbsp. shrub with 1 cup club soda in a glass filled with ice. Taste and add more shrub if you like. Or add 1-2 oz. of your favourite spirit such as gin, rum or vodka.
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Shrub can be made 6 months ahead. Keep chilled.
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Enjoy! xo
