Shrub syrups originated hundreds of years ago, when the only method to prevent the spoiling of fresh fruit was to mix it with lots of sugar and store it in old crocks. This easy shrub is made with fresh strawberries and combined with hard liquor, ice, and seltzer for a refreshing, vinegar-y cocktail drink.
Ingredients
Strawberry Shrub Syrup:
1lb (16 oz)fresh ripe strawberriescored and quartered (about 2½ cups)
2½cups (500 g)granulated sugar
1½ - 2cups (360 mL - 480 mL)unfiltered apple cider vinegarto taste
Strawberry Shrub Cocktail:
ice cubes
1ouncedry gin
1-2ouncesstrawberry shrub syrupto taste, see recipe above
4-5ouncesseltzer or soda water
fresh mint sprigsfor garnish
Instructions
Prepare Strawberry Shrub Syrup: Combine the hulled and quartered strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Stir together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (or as long as 48 hours), stirring once or twice to mix any sugar that settles at the bottom of the bowl. As the mixture sits, it will become more and more syrupy and liquidy in texture.
Once the syrup is ready, stir the mixture once again, scraping the bottom of the bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove the solid strawberry pieces, pressing them against the side of the bowl to release any additional juice. This should yield roughly 2 cups of strawberry shrub simple syrup. Don’t worry if all the sugar has not dissolved.
Whisk the vinegar (depending on taste preference, add between 1½ to 2 cups vinegar into the strawberry syrup). Place the shrub syrup in a glass or plastic bottle, including any undissolved sugar, seal, and shake well. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Prepare Cocktail: Fill a tumbler glass halfway with ice cubes. Using a cocktail shaker, combine the gin and shrub and shake well. Pour over the ice and top with seltzer. Stir and serve, and garnish with fresh mint sprigs.