April 25, 2022 Drinks, Recipes, Tasty DIY

Shrub Cocktail & Mocktail Recipes

Shrub (a fruited vinegar or vinegary fruit syrup) makes a great flavoring base on which to build a cocktail or a mocktail. You can make your own shrub, but if you’re not up to it, they can be found in grocers and markets that focus on local and natural foods. Our friends at Christina Maser Co have been crafting shrubs for a long while here in Lancaster, PA. You can find their shrubs on their website or in these brick & mortar stockists. We hope you’ll enjoy some of these shrub cocktail & mocktail recipes.

Strawberry Shrub Cocktail (or Mocktail) with Rosemary & Lemon from Christina Maser Co.

You’ll Need:

– Ice cubes

– 1 small sprig of fresh rosemary (plus 2-3 for an optional garnish)

– 1 oz. dry gin or vodka (omit for a mocktail)

– 1-2 oz. Christina Maser Strawberry Shrub (adjust for your taste preference)

– 4-5 oz. tonic water (substitute with seltzer if you prefer)

– Fresh lemon juice to taste

– Fresh, thinly sliced strawberries (optional)

To Make the Cocktail:

1. Muddle a few of the rosemary leaves, a squeeze of lemon, a few slices of strawberries, and a strawberry shrub in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

2. Add your spirit of choice and ice to above the liquid. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds.

3. Fill a rock glass or tumbler halfway with ice. An emptied and cleaned Christina Maser Co. candle tumbler works wonderfully here. (true confession – their tumblers have become regular drinkware in our home along with pint jars)

4. Strain cocktail over ice. Top with tonic water.

5. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and thinly sliced strawberries if desired and enjoy!

Explore other flavor combinations…

Some of these will have you expanding your herb garden! Because shrubs bring enough sweetness to the party, pairing them with a refreshing or savory herbaceous sprig, leaves and blossoms work well. Have fun with your flavors! You can also use pretty much any of these crushed in with some sugar for the added sparkle and aroma of a rimmed glass.

Red Raspberry Shrub & Thai Basil Mocktail | Thai basil brings an intriguing depth of flavor to this drink, and if it’s time to trim back some blooms, this is a great way to use them…as garnish!

Blueberry Shrub OR Red Raspberry Shrub & Lemon Balm Mocktail | The lemon balm brings a smooth lemon flavor (without the other citrus factors) to the party. Both blueberry and red raspberry pair very well with lemon. BTW – lemon balm is ridiculously easy to grow, and re-seeds itself readily, so if you grow it, you’ll have plenty – use it freely as garnish.

Strawberry Shrub & Lavender Mocktail | Use lavender buds in your shaker so they get strained out if you don’t want them floating in your drink. You can also use them in a rimming sugar which we made here. The aroma of lavender as you drink is intoxicating without actually having the lavender in your beverage. A fresh lavender spring as a garnish would also do the trick.

kombucha cocktail Peach Melba Mocktail | Use the Red Raspberry Shrub and some very ripe peaches (roughly chopped or thinly sliced) in the shaker or muddle it. Garnish with a few more slices of peach and a sprig of mint.