Blog

What is a shrub drink?  This is the question I had to ask when I found these recipes.  I’ve never heard of a shrub drink.  I found an article that explained a shrub is a syrup made of a combination of concentrated fruits, aromatics, sugar, and vinegar.  The syrup can be used to make cocktails or mixed with sparkling water.

These recipes are in the San Francisco Call on May 11, 1913.  They are Ms. E. A. Eddy’s recipes.  For help with measurements, hop over to my measurement conversion page.

Ms. Eddy’s Lemon Shrub Recipe

Pare a thin rind from fresh lemons; squeeze out and strain the juice; add to each pint of juice one pound loaf sugar.  Take for each pint of the syrup three tablespoons brandy and soak the rind of the lemon in it.  Let all stand one day, frequently stirring the lemon juice and sugar.  Next day pour off the syrup and mix with the brandy and lemon rind.  Bottle it, sealing the cork.

Ms. Eddy’s Raspberry Shrub Recipe

Select about 12 quarts of the juiciest, plumpest blackcap raspberries.  Put them in a large stone jar and pour over them enough pure cider vinegar to reach as far as the berries, but no more.  If the vinegar is too acid a little less will suffice.  Let the berries soak in the vinegar 36 hours.  Lay a coarse muslin strainer in a colander, over a stone jar and dip the vinegar and raspberries into it, mashing the berries a little to extract all their juice.  Measure the liquid and put it over the fire in a porcelain lined or aluminum kettle.  When it boils add one pound loaf sugar for every pint and let the whole boil 10 minutes; then bottle and seal.

Ms. Eddy’s Raspberry Shrub No. 2 Recipe

Put one quart vinegar to three quarts ripe raspberries and, after standing a day, strain it, adding to each pint one pound loaf sugar.  Boil about 30 minutes.  Skim clear and add one wineglass brandy to each pint of the shrub.  Bottle and seal.