Simple Nectarine Shrub

Have you ever had a shrub before? These drinks have a slight vinegar undertone, are so good, and make the perfect base for a variety of mixed drinks. Read along to learn all about this Simple Nectarine Shrub.

What Makes Drink So Good?

One reason you have to try this simple nectarine shrub is the flavor! This is a fruit drink with an interesting twist, and the vinegar is the perfect complement to the nectarine.

If you are looking for an easy base for a variety of mixed drinks, this shrub is a must-try for you. I don't drink alcohol, but you can easily make this drink any way you like.

What Is a Shrub?

When I say shrub, you might think of a bush in your flowerbed, but these shrubs are just a little different. When we are talking about drinks, we make shrubs by combining fruits, vinegar, and sugar. These non-alcoholic drinks are sweet, but the apple cider vinegar also gives it a slightly acidic taste.

The idea of shrubs has been around for a very long time and came from Rome and the Babylonians. They had a drink where they mixed water and vinegar, and it was called a shrub.

Ingredients

• Nectarines- Fresh is best!
• Granulated sugar
• Apple cider vinegar

Making This Vinegar Drink

1. Place fruit and sugar in a bowl
2. Mix well, cover and place in the fridge for at least 24 hours
3. Press the fruit through a fine mesh strainer. Put the juice in a jar or bowl.
4. Stir in the vinegar and place in a clean jar. Move it back to the fridge.
5. You can take it out in 24 hours, although I waited 3 days for mine, just to intensify the flavor

Creating Your Drink

If you want to make the drink as I did, pour a few tablespoons of the shrub into your glass. Add in your ice, then the sparkling water, slices of nectarines, and added sweetener if you need it.

This will hold well in the fridge for at least a month. You can also store it at room temp as it is vinegar-based, but I prefer the fridge.

Notes

There are 2 methods for making shrubs, hot and cold. I used cold and that is what most purists use. To do this, put fresh fruit and granulated sugar in a bowl, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The sugar should draw the liquid out of the fruit and turn it into syrup. Now all you need to do is get rid of the chunks and mix in some vinegar, and you have yourself a shrub!

The other method is to cook over a cooktop. Put all the ingredients in a pan and cook over medium heat until everything is broken down. Strain the liquid into a jar, and again let it sit in the fridge overnight.

When making this drink, make sure your fruit is ripe. This is important as the flavor will depend on the ripeness of the fruit.

These shrubs will hold for a while, you can store them in the fridge for up to a month. You can also store it in the pantry, but I prefer the fridge.

Ways To Use A Vinegar Shrub

The applications for the vinegar shrubs go beyond drinks. They can be used for marinades, salad dressing, etc.

More Drink Ideas

• Strawberry mango agua fresca
• Pineapple strawberry agua fresca
• Vanilla pomegranate fizz
• Cranberry orange and vanilla mocktail
• Summertime virgin sangria
• Cherry limeade
• Watermelon Mocktail

• Drinks