Blueberry + Rosemary Shrub

The shrub I discuss in this post doesn’t refer to the perennial woody and bushy plant often found in landscaping designs, but rather a sweet and tangy drinking vinegar.

First, some history.

Shrubs were particularly popular during America’s colonial period through the 18th century as a refreshing way to beat the summer heat and humidity. They were enjoyed long before that, however, and even employed by sailors as a way to combat scurvy on long voyages.

Drinking vinegars emerged as a food preservation method used to keep seasonal fruit from going to waste by adding it to sugar and vinegar. People often enjoyed their drinking vinegars topped with some carbonated water in what can be likened to America’s first soda. Others mixed the fruity and sour vinegar with alcohol, such as rum, for a delicious cocktail. Honestly, it was probably safer than drinking the water back then.

Shrubs have enjoyed a renaissance with the increasingly popular craft cocktail scene. Whether used to make a cocktail or enjoyed as a “mocktail,” this fruity and tangy drinking vinegar makes for a delicious and refreshing beverage.

What’s in a shrub?

Typically, shrubs are made with equal parts fruit, sweetener, and vinegar. I used 1 cup fruit, 1 cup honey, and 1 cup apple cider vinegar to make this blueberry + rosemary shrub. If you gravitate towards less sweet drinks, you can get away with about 1/3-1/2 cup of honey to 1 cup fruit and 1 cup vinegar. It’ll taste more like a kombucha. A bit more vinegary. Still delicious! If you want to enjoy something that tastes like a tangy liquid pie, add the full cup of honey to the cup of vinegar and cup of fruit. I’ve done many variations and they’re all delicious.

Fresh or frozen fruit?

Most shrubs are made using fresh fruit, but I used frozen and just let it thaw. We’re in early March and not much fresh fruit is readily available or in season. Happily, the frozen fruit worked perfectly, so we can enjoy these drinking vinegars year-round.

Last summer I went to a local blueberry farm and picked gallons of blueberries and froze the majority of them, so that’s what I used to make this shrub. Any frozen fruit will do, so don’t be afraid to mix it up! Strawberries and mint, anyone? Cherry or blackberry? All of it would be delicious.

Let’s make it.

I took a cup of the frozen blueberries and added them to a quart-sized mason jar. I went out to the garden and clipped a 3″ section of rosemary and tossed it in with the blueberries, and let the berries thaw completely. Then I smashed them really well together.

To this blueberry-rosemary pulpy mix I added delicious raw alfalfa honey.

You can use any sweetener here, even plain old sugar. I like to use raw honey because even though it functions like sugar, it offers a generous mix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that regular sugar doesn’t.

Now that you’ve added your honey, add in the raw apple cider vinegar. You really want to use the kind of raw apple cider vinegar with the “mother.” Apple cider vinegar is by no means some sort of magical elixir that the Internet seems to think it is, but it does provide probiotics, B-vitamins, and antioxidants.

Once you’ve added the honey and vinegar to the fruit mix, it’s time to give the jar a good shake. You can stir everything if you wish but I find shaking the jar is more effective at mixing up the sticky honey. Plus, while shaking the jar, you can imagine yourself as a colonial bartender or barmaid. Or maybe a bar wench! Try not to get accused of witchcraft, though.

Let the flavors marry

Now that everything is mixed, stick your jar in the fridge. Aren’t we lucky to have modern refrigeration? Let everything infuse for at least 24-48 hours. When you’re ready to use it, give the contents another shake and strain out the blueberries and rosemary and toss in your compost bin.

Drink up!

To enjoy your very own colonial shrub, grab a glass, add some ice, pour in some strained shrub, and top with carbonated water. I like a 1:3 ratio of shrub to carbonated water. Give it all a good stir and enjoy. If you want to add a little booze, stir in about 0.5 to 1 ounce of rum, vodka, or gin to the shrub before adding the carbonated water and get ready to party like it’s 1775!

Blueberry + Rosemary Shrub Drink

Trish

Get ready to party like it's 1775 with this tangy and sweet colonial drinking vinegar recipe!

5 from 2 votes

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Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 1 quart mason jar

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup blueberries thawed if frozen
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary about 3" long
• 1 cup raw honey
• 1 cup raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

Instructions

 

• Add your blueberries and sprig of rosemary to a quart-sized mason jar. Ensure fruit is thawed if using frozen. Mash berries and rosemary together well.
• Add honey to the fruit mixture.
• Add apple cider vinegar to the fruit and honey mixture.
• Place a lid on the mason jar and shake very well to combine. Refrigerate 24-48 hours.
• Strain shrub, compost the berries and rosemary.
• To enjoy, add ice to a drinking glass and pour 1 part shrub to 3 parts carbonated water. Stir and enjoy!

Notes

• You can vary the amount of honey or sweetener in this recipe. I have experimented with using as low as 1/3 cup of honey and still enjoyed the flavor. Keep the fruit and vinegar at the same amount in the recipe. 
• Keep strained shrub refrigerated. Because the apple cider vinegar acts a preservative, this should last several weeks in the fridge, but be sure to always check for spoilage before enjoying. 

Keyword cocktails, drinks, fruit, mocktails, preservation, vegan