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Shrubs (the drink not the plants) are kind of trendy right now but in actual fact, they have been around for a long time. Vinegar shrubs can be traced back to the 17th century when in England vinegar was used to preserve fruit and berries for the winter. The fruit-infused vinegar was then strained out and drank for medicinal purposes. It was believed that vinegar shrubs could revitalize the heart and cure disease.
Those 17th century peeps were not really wrong. The benefits of drinking shrubs include liver detoxification, blood sugar stabilization, fighting free radicals and digestion ease, among others.
Shrubs sort of fell out of favor in the mid-20th century when sugary drinks like Coca-Cola became popular. But today, we are a little more conscientious of what we put in our bodies.
Nowadays, mocktails are all the rage and these Blackberry & Strawberry Shrub mocktails are not only good for you, but delicious.
We used Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar in this recipe – I find it lighter than other vinegars resulting in a tastier beverage.
Get more drinks recipes here.
Blackberry Shrub
Ingredients
- 2 cups berries, , plus more for garnish
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar
For servings:
- Sparkling water
- Blackberries
- Mint leaves
Instructions
- Bring berries, sugar, and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Skim off any scum that has accumulated on top of the mixture.
- Add vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat. Cool and strain into a glass container. Refrigerate for as long as 3 months.
- To serve, fill a glass with ice, fill halfway with shrub, fill the rest of the way with sparking water, and add berries and mint to garnish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
