There’s almost nothing more refreshing in the summer than a sweet and tart blueberry shrub poured over ice and club soda (and maybe a little gin). A shrub is a mixture of concentrated fruits, sugar, and vinegar. It is sometimes known as drinking vinegar. This sweet, yet acidic mixer originated as a form of medicine in the 15th century and today is enjoyed as a component of a mixed drink. Shrubs can be made with any berry or other juicy fruit! There is a lot of room for creativity and experimentation - you can also use a variety of different vinegars and add any aromatics you please. My most recent creation was a blueberry lemon verbena shrub using freshly picked blueberries and lemon verbena from my garden.

Here’s the recipe below:

Ingredients:

12oz. blueberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar (can use red wine, white wine, apple cider, white balsamic, or unseasoned rice)
Lemon verbena or other herbs

Other fun ideas for herbal berry shrubs:

• Strawberry and lime balm or lemon balm

• Blackberry and spearmint

• Blueberry and sweet basil

• Raspberry and chocolate mint

Method:

1. Gently mash berries in a medium bowl with a fork. Transfer to large jar, add sugar, and stir. Seal jar and let fruit mixture sit at room temperature, shaking occasionally, until berries are very soft and falling apart and sugar is at least mostly dissolved, about 1 day (mixture should look very juicy!)

2. Strain fruit mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; discard fruit. Scrape any undissolved sugar left in jar into bowl.

3. Add vinegar to syrup and stir to combine. Taste shrub and add more sugar or vinegar to your liking—keep in mind the flavors will meld as the shrub ages. Add your lemon verbena or herb of your choosing now! I used about 1 cup of leaves, coarsely chopped. 

4. Pour shrub into a clean jar; cover with lid and chill until flavors come together and mellow, at least 1 week. Shrub will keep in the fridge for about 6 months.