If you have lots of fresh fruit lying around and you know you won't be able to eat it before it spoils, you can always make a shrub and then make a shrub cocktail from that. Shrubs are an ancient (17th century) way of preserving fruit with vinegar and sugar to make something fresh, zippy, and enticingly sippy. The shrubs are easy to make (and you can buy them commercially, too), and you can use them to create cocktails alive with vibrant flavors.
Shrub Highball
Fairly self-explanatory but don't be fooled by this simple cocktail made from a cocktail shrub. You can mix and match spirits and shrub flavors until, well, until you've exhausted a couple hundred options and then some.
If you're nervous about experimenting with highball cocktails, this is the best place to start. Interested in a mocktail? Skip the booze or use a nonalcoholic spirit or just some soda.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka, gin, white rum, or tequila
- 1½ ounce strawberry shrub (or your preferred shrub flavor)
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Mint sprig and lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, spirit, and shrub.
- Top off with club soda.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.
Don't hold back from garnishing with the same fruit as the flavor as your shrub.
Shrub Julep
You can enjoy the shrub julep as a riff on a classic cocktail or as a shrub mocktail. Whatever way you go, this is certainly a winning pick.
Ingredients
- 4-5 fresh mint leaves
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce peach shrub
- Crushed ice
- Mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass or julep cup, muddle mint with simple syrup.
- Add bourbon and peach shrub.
- Fill to top with crushed ice.
- Stir until the glass begins to frost.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Shrub Mule
Working with vodka means you can mix just about any flavor shrub in; however, you're going to want those flavors to play well with ginger.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce apple shrub
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass or copper cup, add ice, vodka, apple shrub, and lime juice.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Shrub Margarita
Jam some blueberry flavors into the classic margarita for something a little different. But it's oh so tasty.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces silver tequila
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce blueberry shrub
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ¼ ounce agave syrup
- Ice
- Blueberries and lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, lime juice, blueberry shrub, orange liqueur, and agave syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with blueberries and a lemon wedge.
Shrub 75
Just a whisper of shrub is all it takes to give your usual French 75 a little somethin' somethin'. This is especially wonderful with sparkling nonalcoholic bubbles to make a fizzy shrub mocktail.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce gin
- ½ ounce blackberry shrub
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Prosecco to top off
- Raspberry and thyme sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, blackberry shrub, and lemon juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Top off with prosecco.
- Garnish with a thyme sprig and raspberry.
Make your garnish more colorful by adding a blackberry to the raspberry!
Rum and Shrub
Enjoy a different side of rum drinks that you can enjoy in the sun, or imaginary sun.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces white rum
- 1½ ounce cream of coconut
- 1 ounce pineapple shrub
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce orgeat
- Ice
- Pineapple wedge and pineapple leaf for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, white rum, cream of coconut, pineapple shrub, orgeat, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and pineapple leaf.
Let's Get Shrubby With It
Shrubs are incredibly easy to make. They're fruity and sweet, like simple syrup, but with an acidic tang that gives that cocktail that little je ne sais quoi. Of course, shrubs take a little more time before they're ready to use. But grab a big jar, and you'll always have some on hand.
