Cold Pressed Blueberry Lemongrass Shrub
The term “shrub” as a beverage can be traced back to the 15th century England as a medicinal cordial. Equal amounts of sugar, cider vinegar, and fruit of your choice are combined and used as an alternative to bitters in cocktails. Shrub faded out of popularity with the invention of the refrigerator, since it doesn’t require refrigeration. Shrub came back into popularity in 2011 in bars and restaurants as an aperitif. You can now find shrub sold in grocery stores and co-ops for a pretty penny. You can make shrub at home for a fraction of the price.I was recently introduced to shrub by my coworker Steve who happens to make his own. He mixed together a rhubarb shrub with tonic water and ice at one of our team meetings. I really enjoyed it; so much that I had to make some at home. To me, it was very similar to kombucha; having the same type of probiotic effects from the cider vinegar. The shrub is good for up to a year, but does mellow out in flavor over time.
Equipment
- Mason jar
- fine strainer
Ingredients
Blueberry Lemongrass Shrub
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup blueberries
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
Shrub Drink
- 3 tbsp shrub
- 8 oz tonic water
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Mash the blueberries and lemongrass with the sugar in a bowl.
- Cover in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Place the blueberry/lemongrass syrup in a fine strainer over a bowl. Mash until all of the liquid is pushed through.
- Pour the cider vinegar through the strained blueberry mash.
- Place the shrub in a mason jar in the refrigerator. Allow to sit for a week; shaking everyday until the sugar had dissolved.
