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    Home / Recipes / Drink

    32 Aug 4, 2011 Drink  |   Jump to Recipe

    Blackberry Shrub

    Blackberry Shrub

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Azalea.  Bougainvillea.  Oleander.  Honeysuckle.  Hydrangea.  Bramble.  Rose.  A short list of shrubs that I will not be covering in this article.  Instead, I am going to describe a shrub you might be unfamiliar with.  Tart and refreshing, a shrub is mixture of fruit and vinegar that can be enjoyed in a cocktail or with sparkling soda water.  The origin of these drinking vinegars dates back to the Roman Era where acetified wine diluted with water was consumed as an everyday thirst quencher.*  Shrubs came to America via England during the Colonial Era.  Recently, I’ve seen many recipes for shrubs sprouting up around the Internets.  This Blackberry Shrub is a bold blend of blackberry syrup, balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary.  The finished shrub has the most amazing aroma and a complex flavor that gleefully dances across your palate.

    PS.  I’ve been drinking this shrub all week at work.  I get a large soda water from a nearby restaurant (for free).  Then I stir in a few ounces of the Blackberry Shrub.  Homemade soda is really that easy.  But I warn you.  Your coworkers might become extremely jealous.  Continue reading for the recipe.

    Blackberries

    Rosemary

    Blackberry Shrub

    Blackberry Shrub

    by Brandon Matzek
    Adapted from here.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 4 cups

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 3/4 cups blackberries
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
    • 3/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
    • 3 sprigs of rosemary

    Instructions
     

    • Add blackberries, water and sugar to a medium saucepan and cook on low until the berries are soft (10 – 15 minutes). Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, slightly mashing the berries each time you stir.
    • Pour the mixture through a fine mesh basket strainer then return to the saucepan. Discard solids. Add balsamic vinegar and rosemary sprigs. Increase the heat to medium-low and bring the mixture to a slow boil.**
    • Take the mixture off of the heat and carefully remove the rosemary sprigs. Let cool then transfer to a pitcher or bottle. Chill shrub in the refrigerator before using.

    Notes

    * I loosely quoted some information from here. I urge you to check out this article if you want to learn more about shrubs.
    ** You will know the mixture has come to a slow boil when you first start seeing bubbles come up from the bottom of the saucepan. At this point, stir the shrub. If the bubbles quickly come back, you have reached a slow boil.
    Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!
    32
    Brandon and Federico
    Brandon

    I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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    Categories: Drink Tags: balsamic vinegar, blackberry, rosemary, sugar

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Averie says

      August 4, 2011 at 6:56 pm

      Brandon, this looks perfect! 

      This “PS.  I’ve been drinking this shrub all week at work.  I get a large soda
      water from a nearby restaurant (for free).  Then I stir in a few ounces
      of the Blackberry Shrub.  Homemade soda is really that easy.”–

      That’s a recipe that’s perfect for me 🙂

      Reply
    2. eliotseats says

      August 5, 2011 at 4:41 pm

      I wish I had known about this when I was putting up 12 quarts of blackberries!   I love the use of rosemary in this as well.   Thanks!

      Reply
      • Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says

        August 5, 2011 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks Elliot! It is a great blackberry use up. The shrub will last a while in the fridge (if all solids are strained out). Probably longer if you add a shot of vodka to it!

        Reply
    3. Rachel says

      August 10, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      I have never heard of shrub, but it sounds yummy.  I’ve commented and I sent some “buzz” on this recipe.

      Reply
    4. flourtrader says

      August 10, 2011 at 2:48 pm

      I love drinks with the dark fruits-especially blackberries!  It is neat how you can keep this in reserve and pour it up with soda, beats store bought any day.  Yum!

      Reply
    5. Kelly says

      August 10, 2011 at 6:02 pm

      This looks fantastic Brandon! 🙂

      Reply
    6. Cassie says

      August 10, 2011 at 10:52 pm

      This sound so rich and decadent, love it and your photos. Buzz!

      Reply
    7. Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet says

      August 11, 2011 at 3:48 am

      Homemade sodas are the best!  I have heard of shrub although I haven’t seen them on the internet yet.  thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    8. Fivefinickyeaters says

      August 11, 2011 at 4:17 pm

      Interesting, I too had never heard of a shrub being anything but a plant.  I do have a blackberry bush and plan on trying your recipe out next year.  Any suggestions to replace the rosemary?   Husband hates it.

      Reply
    9. Fillmybelly says

      August 17, 2011 at 11:53 am

      Nice Cocktail. The tumbler is too Impressive & Interesting. Cheers 

      Reply
    10. Tasmina says

      December 8, 2014 at 5:04 pm

      Hi can I use any other vinegar instead of balsamic? I really want to try this and I have everything but BV! Thanks 🙂

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        December 9, 2014 at 4:12 pm

        Sure! Try with red wine vinegar.

        Reply
        • Tasmina says

          December 9, 2014 at 4:18 pm

          I don’t have that but I’m going to try it with apple cider vinegar 🙂 Thanks!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            December 9, 2014 at 4:43 pm

            Please let me know how it turns out!! That should be lovely.

            Reply
    11. Nikki Adair says

      April 5, 2020 at 11:00 am

      I’ve recently discovered shrubs and I am in love!

      I think I may have botched my first batch though; can you tell me how many cups of blackberries to use? I used 3/4 cup. 🤦🏻‍♀️ As I was finishing up, I looked back and realized it called for (2) 3/4 cups.

      Does that mean:

      • 2 x 3/4 cups (1 1/2 cups)

      • 2 2/4 cups

      • or (hopefully) 3/4 cup?

      Regardless, it smells amazing and I’m still going to use it!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 5, 2020 at 1:59 pm

        Hi Nikki, so sorry for the confusion! I converted all my recipes to a new format recently, and I’ve been discovering a few formatting issues as a result. It should be 2 3/4 cups total. I have a feeling it should still taste pretty good with the 3/4 cup of berries, and next time try it with more. Cheers!

        Reply
    12. Nikki Adair says

      April 5, 2020 at 11:05 am

      (Followup)

      …I just read the linked recipe that you used/adapted.

      I totally should have used 2 3/4 cups. 🤦🏻‍♀️

      Welp. Practice makes perfect; I’ll just have to make it again soon!

      Thanks again!

      Reply
    13. Julie says

      July 6, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      Please could you tell me the shelf life, as I would like to make some when fruit is in season but for gifts at Christmas. Thanks. Julie

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        July 20, 2020 at 11:30 am

        Hi Julie! That should be ok. You could probably store a shrub for up to 1 year; however, if it looks bubbly, cloudy or slimy (signs it may be fermenting), discard it. Keep in mind that there will be some particles that settle to the bottom over time. This is fine – no need to worry there. Just shake it up to redistribute.

        Reply

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    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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