I recently came across some recipes for shrub and was reminded of how wonderful these are for creating amazingly refreshing drinks, both with and without alcohol.

One of the many things I love to dabble in is mixology. Creating drinks is much like developing food recipes: the flavors need to be balanced and interesting to create great results. Shrubs have that capacity; if you’re looking to add depth and complexity look no further! They add a tangy, acidic element to mixed drinks that can help balance out the sweetness of simple syrup or fruit juice.

More on this in a bit! Now for my great news!

Many years ago I worked with a Norwegian vodka brand called Heavy Water, helping them to open markets in the United States, and today I’ve come full circle as I have a new client from my hometown in Norway, Grova.

I briefly mentioned them in last week’s blog post where I shared my elderflower cordial recipe and promised I’d share more.

I had been curiously following Grova on social media for a long time (here’s their IG link if you want to follow as well!) and was impressed by what Harald, the founder, had been able to achieve in such a short amount of time.

I’ve always admired people who follow their hearts and dreams and take a chance on something they are drawn toward – Harald is one of those people!

So when I reached out to Harald not too long ago to ask if he wanted help to expand his business to the United States, his answer was an enthusiastic YES! Luckily, we are now working together on a plan to make his spirits available stateside.

Growing up on a sheep farm in Sykkylven, Harald wanted to do something different on the property after his father retired. While at first he considered brewing beer, he eventually landed on gin.

Using locally grown blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, red currants, nettles, rowanberries and birch leaves among other things, this botanical spirit choice is the perfect choice for utilizing the bounty of the nearby produce.

These products are hyper-local and really embody what the word ‘artisan’ truly means. It’s the quintessential Norwegian spirit of the highest quality.

Since Grova’s inception in 2019, Harald has expanded his line to include aquavit, whiskey and vodka. In the future, there are also plans to start making cider. I can’t wait to show it all off to you!

Stay tuned on our social media channels for more coming this fall… 🙂

Now back to the recipe of the day:

I’m holding on to rhubarb season for as long as I can, and a way to make sure you can enjoy those tart flavors for a long time to come is to preserve them or make a shrub! This is a fantastic way to spiff up a drink, with or without alcohol and it’s really simple to make at home.

I used the last pieces of gorgeous rhubarb from Six Dutchess Farm, a local flower farm run by my new friends Jennifer and Hans. They run an amazing estate that is dedicated to biodiversity, regenerative farming, and living in harmony with nature.

Besides flowers, they grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables and are responsible beekeepers as well. It’s truly a magical place and one that inspires you to spend time outdoors to learn more about the plants and creatures we share this beautiful planet with.

What exactly is shrub?

The word “shrub” is derived from the Arabic sharbah, which means “a drink.” Vinegar was common in the old days when it was frequently added to water to make it safe to drink. Because of the vinegar, it also had various health properties.

Today we refer to a shrub as a concentrated syrup that is made with vinegar, sugar and some type of fruit. Some shrubs add alcohol as well which steeps with the fruits and sugar.

It is mixed with either water (sparkling or still) or alcohol to make a refreshing drink.
Making shrubs is a fun way to play with and preserve a variety of fruits.

How do you make it?

You can play around with different fruits, but berries (all kinds) are great, as are rhubarb, apricots, peaches, and plums – go to the farmer’s market for inspiration!

Try adding a piece of ginger, fresh mint or basil, citrus, or citrus peels for additional flavorings.

As for vinegars, I recommend either red wine vinegar or cider or apple cider vinegar- in this case I used a fantastic vinegar from a local maple syrup farmer called Laurel & Ash Farm here in the Hudson Valley.

It’s a barrel-aged maple vinegar and out-of-this-world delicious! They also produce an outstanding very dark maple syrup that will ruin you for any other maple syrups out there. I’m already planning on going back to the market this weekend to pick up more.

Since this vinegar is already a little sweet, I would cut down on the sugar in the regular recipe a bit, and I also like my shrub quite tangy.

There are many ways to make a shrub, but I prefer the cold-process method where the fruit and sugar macerate for a couple of days until they turn into a flavorful syrup. I find that the flavor of the shrub is brighter, purer and fresher this way.

If you are short on time you can also cook it. In this instance, you would add equal parts sugar and water to a saucepan, heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Then you’ll add the berries or fruit and simmer until the fruit’s juice blends well into the syrup. Cool and strain out the solid before you add the vinegar, bottle it and store in the fridge.

Both methods call for straining the liquid after you macerate or cook it, and transferring it to a clean, sterilized glass bottle or jar and keeping in the refrigerator. A shrub can keep for 6 months when stored cold and tightly sealed.

What will you need?

Here’s the basic ‘specialty’ equipment:

Fine-mesh strainer
or
Cheesecloth
The liquid needs to be strained and separated from the solids – I like to use both a strainer and a cheesecloth to make sure I catch any and all of the small particles that might be floating around in the shrub.

Funnel
To easily pour the liquid into your glass container without making a mess!

Glass bottle
or
Quart-sized Mason Jar with a lid
For a pretty and practical container to store your shrub in the fridge.

Investing in these things are well worth it – you can reuse them (minus the cheese cloth) to make tons of different shrubs and fruit-based syrups in the future!

*Please note I get a small commission if you use these links 🙂

How do you use shrubs?

Shrubs are so versatile! They are excellent in cocktails or mocktails, providing a tangy touch that balances out the sweetness.

You can also use shrubs in dressing, homemade jam or spreads, or as a glaze for tofu and veggies among other things.

Don’t throw away the solids, you can smear them on toast with some vegan coat cheese or make a nice chutney for a cheese platter or as a condiment with your favorite dish!

I know that I’m making a new batch of this rhubarb shrub to experiment with and leave to soak for at least a week in the fridge… I hear the flavors that can develop are amazing!

If you try making this shrub, don’t forget to tag me at @decantwithplants or @theplantcurious table on IG!

RHUBARB SHRUB

Heaping 2 cups (200 grams) rhubarb (about 4 large stalks)
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 sprigs of mint
1 cup (2.5 dl) vinegar (or more to taste)

Directions:

Submerge your glass bottle or jar in a pot of boiling water to cover by 1 to 2 inches, and boil for 10 minutes. For the lid or cap, wash it in hot, soapy water; rinse well; and scald in boiling water.

Carefully remove the bottle or jar from the water using tongs and place on the counter.

Combine the sugar and kosher salt in a small bowl. Pick off the leaves of the mint sprigs and clap them between your hands once to release the oils.

Wash and cut the rhubarb and start layering the rhubarb, sugar and mint into the bottle or jar. Seal with the lid on and leave it on the kitchen counter for a few hours until some liquid start to get drawn out from the fruit. Place in the refrigerator.

Twenty-four hours after you first combined the sugar mixture with the fruit, add 1 cup red wine vinegar (or use cider or white wine vinegar).

After adding the vinegar, leave it at room temp for a few hours, then taste it to see if it needs more vinegar (up to ¼ cup more). Shake up the jar a few times, and put it back in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours. (You can leave it for several more days if you’d like to develop an even deeper flavor).

Strain the fruit from the vinegar solution through a damp cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer. Save the fruit for another purpose- it makes for a great topping on yogurt or make a chutney or jam from it!

To serve, mix 1 tablespoon shrub syrup into a glass of still or sparkling water. Taste and add more syrup, if desired.

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For a boozy cocktail, try my recipe below with gin!

GROVA GIN COCKTAIL:

2 oz (6 cl) Grova London Dry Gin cocktail
3/4 oz (2 cl) rhubarb shrub
1 1/2 oz (4.5 cl) dry vermouth
Club soda

Combine gin, rhubarb shrub and dry vermouth in a mixing glass with ice and stir for a good 15 seconds. Strain into a highball or rocks class filled with fresh ice and top with a splash of club soda.

For garnish, skewer three pieces of your spent rhubarb with one lemon slice on each end.

Note: you can switch up the dry vermouth for fino or manzanilla sherry or white wine, and the club soda with gin tonic for a slight variation of this drink!

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