This elegant blackberry shrub comes together with just a handful of ingredients. Blackberries simmer with water and sugar until jammy and fragrant, then macerate with vinegar for a few days to produce a full-bodied, fruity, and tangy syrup. Mix it with seltzer for a refreshing mocktail, add it to your favorite cocktail, or whisk it into a bright salad dressing. If you’ve never made a shrub before, this is the perfect recipe to start with!
Shrubs are one of my favorite summer drinks! They’re tart, sweet, and so addicting. If you’re looking to throw a little summer soirée or have folks over for a cocktail hour, a homemade shrub is the perfect make-ahead option!
A shrub, also called a “drinking vinegar,” is a non-alcoholic drink made with a combination of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. Interested in learning more about the process? Keep reading!
The Best Method for Making a Shrub
There are several different ways to prepare a shrub, and they all yield slightly distinct results. I tested the two most popular methods and ultimately developed a hybrid of the two for a richer, fuller flavor to balance out the acidity of the vinegar.
Regardless of the preparation, most recipes use a 1:1:1 ratio of fruit: sugar: vinegar, allowing the best balance of flavor, consistency, and proper preservation.
| Test | Method | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-Process (No-Cook) | Macerate fruit with sugar in the fridge for a few days before straining and adding the vinegar. Allow the syrup to sit in the fridge for about a week before using. | Proponents say this yields the freshest fruit flavor, but it took a long time. |
| Cooked Method | Cook fruit with sugar to create a “fruit simple syrup,” then strain and mix with vinegar. Chill for a day before serving. | Fastest method with a harsh vinegar profile. |
| My Hybrid Method | Cook fruit with sugar to create a “fruit simple syrup,” then add vinegar and chill for 3 days before straining. | Allowing the fruit to sit in the fridge for several days before straining mellowed out the vinegar. Tart, but well-balanced by the sweet, fruity berries. |
After landing on my “hybrid” method, I also tested two versions in which I added vinegar before and after the 3-day window. Though the difference was subtle, I found the “before” version had a more complex, balanced flavor.
Note: There are slight variations where the fruit and sugar sit at room temperature (instead of chilling in the fridge). I avoided this variation because it does require a bit more precaution for optimal preservation!
Ingredient Notes
- Blackberries: You can use fresh or frozen fruit here! For the perfect balance of flavor, look for ripe fruit; underripe berries will yield a rather tart shrub.
- Sugar: All you need is granulated sugar, but once you’ve tried this recipe, you can play around with other sweeteners like brown sugar or honey.
- Ginger (optional): Though optional, grated ginger adds a bit more complexity.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: I like the fruitiness of ACV here, as it’s not too harsh or sweet. I find regular white vinegar a bit too strong for my taste!
For a full list of ingredients and their quantities, refer to the recipe card.
Serving Suggestions
- For a mocktail, I recommend mixing it with your favorite seltzer or club soda! I absolutely love pairing mine with Spindrift blood orange, lime, or pineapple.
- For an alcoholic drink, you’ll want a splash of seltzer, your alcohol of choice (gin and bourbon are great here), and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Ice cream: Spoon a little fruit syrup over ice cream for a refreshing and tangy dessert.
- Salad dressing: This is the most delicious fruity vinegar for a salad dressing! Mix it up with a little olive oil, mustard, and salt and pepper.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: If using ginger, grate or mash it in a mortar and pestle.
Step 2: In a medium sauce pot, add sugar, water, blackberries, and ginger (if using).
Step 3: Set over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blackberries begin to break down.
Step 4: Once the blackberries begin to break down, you should be able to mash them quite easily with a wooden spoon, and the syrup should turn a deep purple hue.
Step 5: Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Mash the blackberries fully with the back of a wooden spoon, then mix the solids back into the liquid. Add the vinegar, then cover and seal the bowl, and store in the fridge for 3 days before using.
TIP: This step might seem silly, but breaking the blackberries down fully allows the syrup to infuse better in the fridge.
Step 6: Strain the mixture again (this time, discard the solids), and transfer to a large, clean mason jar. Seal and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Expert Tip
To make a delicious mocktail, fill a glass with ice cubes, pour in 1 ½ ounces of the shrub, and 8 ounces of seltzer. Add more shrub to taste, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
It should last up to 2 months in the fridge sealed and stored properly.
Some shrub methods undergo a very slight, natural fermentation process, but for the most part, they are not considered the same level as, say, kombucha.
Yes! This recipe uses the classic ratio of equal parts sugar, vinegar, and fruit, so it definitely lends itself to lots of flavor variations. Try making this with raspberries or cherries for a similar level of tartness.
There have been countless variations of “shrubs”, aka drinking vinegars over the last several hundred years. They likely originated in Turkey and Persia and evolved through trade with Western countries in naval ships and in the Americas.
Did you try this recipe?
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Blackberry Shrub
Equipment
Ingredients
For the blackberry shrub:
- 227 grams water
- 340 grams granulated sugar
- 10 grams fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated | optional
- 340 grams fresh blackberries, or frozen blackberries
- 340 grams apple cider vinegar, or another mild vinegar like white wine vinegar
For a shrub mocktail:
- Ice cubes
- 1 ½ ounces homemade blackberry shrub, plus more as needed
- 227 grams seltzer, club soda, or soda water, preferably a citrus seltzer*
Instructions
- Cook the fruit: In a medium saucepan, combine 227 grams water, 340 grams granulated sugar, 10 grams fresh ginger (if using), and 340 grams fresh blackberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blackberries soften and can be easily mashed with the back of a wooden spoon, and the liquid has reduced to a foamy, bubbling syrup, about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Mash the fruit: Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Press firmly on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible, then transfer both the strained liquid and solids to the bowl.
- Add vinegar: Stir in 340 grams apple cider vinegar. Mix well.
- Cool and refrigerate: Allow the shrub mixture to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Seal and refrigerate the mixing bowl for 3 – 5 days before using to allow the flavors to meld.
- Strain and store: Once cooled, strain the mixture once more over a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the solids, then transfer the liquid to a clean glass mason jar or bottle and seal tightly. Refrigerate for up 1 – 2 months.
For a shrub mocktail:
- Fill a glass with ice cubes, then pour in 1 ½ ounces homemade blackberry shrub and 227 grams seltzer, club soda, or soda water. Mix, adjust as desired, and enjoy!Note: I like my drinks tangier, so I'll often do 2 – 2.5 ounces shrub!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Owner’s Rating: I’m now thoroughly obsessed with shrubs after learning this method. I LOVE it with blackberries, and I’m excited to try it with other fruit this summer.