This blackberry lemon shrub is easy to make and can be served with seltzer water or vodka. It’s a refreshing way to enjoy the fresh fruit of summer.
I recently took a trip to Sonoma with my whole family. One day we went on a walking food tour and our first stop served us a delicious drink called a shrub. Yes it sounds strange, but it was refreshing and delicious. Even my 11 year old son enjoyed it and that is saying something. So as soon as I came home, I knew I had to try to make it. One of the best things about the fruity syrup is that you can use it with seltzer water for the kids or vodka for the adults. I’ve even made a fabulous salad dressing with it too. Easy, versatile, tasty, this drink has it all.
Blackberry Lemon Shrub: A Refreshing Summer Drink
A shrub is a colonial recipe that is a fruit syrup preserved with vinegar. This was back in the days of scurvy and all that fun stuff, and shrubs were high in vitamin C from the fruit. There are a few different ways to make these shrubs, but I am going to show you the easiest. All you have to remember is:
1 part fruit to 1 part vinegar to 1 part sugar
So for this recipe, I used 1 cup blackberries and lemon zest to 1 cup apple cider vinegar to 1 cup coconut sugar. By changing up these 3 ingredients, you can have a variety of delicious shrubs to try. Recently I made a pineapple jalapeño shrub with honey and it was fabulous.
The simple way to make these drinking vinegars (as they are sometimes called) is to add the 3 ingredients to a pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Mash the fruit as it is getting soft to release more of the juices. When it starts getting thicker and the fruit becomes pulp, take it off the stove and strain into a bottle or jar. To use the syrup, just put about 2 tablespoons in your glass and add seltzer water. Adding vodka is optional, but makes a great cocktail. You can add more or less of the shrub to your liking. It’s very sweet and fruity, but it has that bite from the vinegar. The contrasting flavors are delicious and the coconut sugar adds a little something special to the mix.
With summer upon us, I hope you get a chance to make a shrub. It would be a great cocktail to make for a party or book club. It’s also a good way to use that not so perfect looking ripe fruit. Experiment with different fruit and vinegar combinations and please stop back and let me know how it goes. Don’t forget to try one as a salad dressing. Just add a bit of olive oil and you have a fruity salad dressing!
- 1 cup blackberries
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- In a sauce pan, add your ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Mash the fruit as it's cooking to release the juices and stir every once in awhile.
- When the mixture becomes thicker, take it off the stove and strain into a jar or bottle.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To use the syrup:
- Start with 2 tablespoons per 8oz glass of seltzer water and adjust according to taste.
- Can also add vodka for a refreshing summer cocktail or add olive oil to make a delicious salad dressing.
We hope you love this Blackberry Lemon Shrub Drink recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Denise from My Life Cookbook, as much as we do. If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to find more like it in our Cocktails and Drinks sections. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and stop by ourGoogle+ Community to see all of the amazing recipes our community members are sharing. Enjoy!
Disclosure: Message intended for our readers 21+ only. Please drink responsibly!
Leave a Reply