Blackberry Lemon Shrub Cocktail
This lemon shrub cocktail has wild blackberries and is part of our Foraging Minnesota series.
With the never-ending winter in Minnesota, we needed a taste of summer so we made up a Blackberry Lemon Shrub! In the past few days, we literally had almost 2 FEET of snow dumped on us. In mid-April! Not very sporty, Minnesota. To protest, we are cooking like it is summer. That includes cocktails and this week we are trying to discover our new summer drink. Last year we made some really fun drink posts including our “Campari Tonic is Our New Summer Drink” our “Cider Mimosa,” and my favorite springtime cocktail, the “Rhubarb Mojito.” I think this year’s summer drink is shaping up to be a shrub. The first one we are trying is this Blackberry Lemon Shrub Cocktail but we have another in the works already… We’ll update that one when we have it made.
If you like this cocktail, you may also like our other fun homemade cocktails as well:
- Homemade Irish Cream
- Rhubarb Mojito
- Campari Tonic
- Sumac Old Fashioned
- Cider Mimosa
- Homemade Cold Brew Coffee Beer
Other Fresh From the Garden and Fresh Ideas
What is a Shrub Cocktail?
A shrub is a fruity, sweet, acidic drink that pairs with whisky very well. It is a fun and fresh way to make a new kind of cocktail for your summer parties. Serious Eats describes a shrub as “an acidulated beverage made of fruit juice, sugar, and other ingredients.” So basically, a shrub is a mixture of vinegar, sugar and fruit. Shrubs were popular in Colonial America to preserve fruit and, when mixed with cold water, were a great afternoon refreshment! In our Blackberry Lemon Shrub Recipe, we mix it with cold club soda…and bourbon. Let’s just say we one-upped Colonial America with this one. And with snowmageddon outside, we needed the extra kick!
How To Make a Shrub Cocktail
To make a shrub muddle equal parts fruit and sugar. I like to let it meld together for a while to draw out the flavors of the fruit. Then add equal parts apple cider vinegar to the mixture. In our Blackberry Lemon Shrub, I first add the lemon zest to the sugar and let it sit for a half hour before adding the rest of the lemon and blackberries and smashing them together. This gives your shrub a little extra tang! Then add your vinegar and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days, stirring daily, to get the most flavor. Then you simply need to strain the juice and you are ready to mix!
Our Blackberry Lemon Shrub Recipe
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 pint blackberries
- 2 large lemons
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vinegar
- 2 oz whisky
- 2 oz club soda
Instructions
- Zest lemons and stir the zest into the sugar in a quart jar.
- Add lemon meat and blackberries and muddle into the same quart jar. Let this mixture sit for half an hour as the sugar will break down the fruit.
- Add the vinegar, stir, and place in a fridge for 3 to 5 days (we have some that are weeks old and are still fine).
- To make the cocktail, add the whisky, club soda and your new shrub mix in equal parts (approximately 2 oz).
Step by Step Instructions
Zest your lemons and mix with the sugar in a quart jar:
Stir in the blackberries and lemon meat. Muddle and let it sit for thirty minutes.
After a few days in the fridge, the blackberries will stain the mixture a bright red and the shrub will be ready.
