Free Dinner Recipes E-book!   Download Now

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Almond Eater logo

  • Browse Recipes
    • Recipes by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • Meet Erin
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Browse Recipes +
    • Recipes by Course +
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sides
      • The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge
    • Recipes by Diet +
      • Vegetarian
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Vegan
      • Mediterranean Diet
      • Paleo
      • Whole30
  • About Erin
  • Contact
Home » Recipes » Drinks

Fruity Shrub Recipe

By Erin · April 22, 2023 · 9 Comments

Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe Leave a Review
2 images: a glass with ice and light pink colored drink on top and purple syrup and pink syrup in a jar on bottom

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclaimer. 

This fruity Shrub Recipe is made with vinegar and sparkling water to create a tasty, lightly sweetened drink. Making homemade drinking vinegar couldn't be simpler! 

two cocktail glasses filled with fruity drinks beside some fresh strawberries

Drinking vinegar is all the rage, and I'm absolutely on board, especially in the form of this shrub recipe.

See, I love enjoying a non-alcoholic beverage in the afternoons, especially when the weather is nice. That typically includes a glass of bulletproof coffee, my turmeric latte or some flavored sparkling water, but this shrub recipe is my new go-to.

What is a shrub? 

Ever heard of a shrub? No, not the plant, I’m talking about the drink! A shrub is basically a vinegar-based drink that’s made with fresh fruit and sugar. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of vinegar but these drinks are awesome because you only use a small amount for each drink.

You have to trust me on this one! They'e a refreshing drink and, in my opinion, the perfect summer mocktail. 

You'll essentially make simple syrup using fruit, herbs, vinegar, and sugar, and then let the mixture sit in the refrigerator so the flavors really mend together. Then, you'll pour it into a glass and top it off with club soda. It's delicious! 

Recipe features

  • Learn how to make two different varieties of fruit shrub: blackberry sage and grapefruit mint
  • Made with only fresh fruit, fresh herbs, sugar, vinegar, and club soda -- that's it!
  • A deliciously refreshing drink that can be enjoyed with or without alcohol! 
  • You can buy pre-made shrub drinks at the store, but making them at home is so easy and I'm guessing more affordable too.
two jars filled with colored simple syrup

Ingredients

Berries - Use fresh berries, not frozen, and for these recipes we're using blackberries, grapefruit and strawberries 

Herbs - There are a variety of fresh herbs that can be used, but for these recipes, opt for fresh sage and fresh mint leaves

Vinegar - I tend to opt for either apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, though champagne vinegar is another great option. You can use white vinegar, but I prefer using vinegar that's a slightly sweeter tasting.

Sugar - Cane sugar is my preference, but if you want to cut down on the sugar, monkfruit sweetener would work. 

Club soda - Or, use tonic water or soda water, and make sure it's unflavored! 

Directions

Step 1: Mash the fruit. Start by adding the fruit, fresh herbs, sugar, and vinegar into a bowl, then use a potato masher the mash everything together for 2 minutes. Then, switch to a fork and continue mashing for 1-2 minutes. You want the fruit to be broken down really well. 

2 images: blackberries, sage leaves and sugar in a bowl on the left and mashed together with a potato masher on the right
2 images: strawberries, mint leaves and sugar in a bowl on the left and mashed together with a potato masher on the right

Step 2: Refrigerate. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, then place it in the fridge for 24-48 hours so the flavors can come together. As it sits, make sure to stir it a couple times throughout each day. 

Step 3: Strain. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, then pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the fruit. 

2 images: fruit in a fine mesh strainer on the left and fruit syrup being poured into a glass on the right

Step 4: Assemble. Fill a glass with ice, then add 3 tablespoons of the shrub syrup to the glass. Pour tonic water overtop, stir and then do a quick taste test. Add more fruity syrup as needed, and enjoy! 

Tips and FAQs

  • It's always a good idea to taste the syrup before refrigerating it. For example, herbs vary in size quite a bit, so you may want to use more or less herbs than the recipe calls for based on size. For example, I bought sage and the leaves were huge, so I didn't need to use quite as many.
  • Adding a fresh squeeze of lime juice to the drink before serving is a nice touch. 
  • You can learn all about shrub "cocktails" and how to use them in this article.

Other tasty shrub combinations:

  • Peach + basil
  • Pear + ginger
  • Raspberry + rosemary
  • Rhubarb + cinnamon 

Can I make this into a cocktail? 

Yep! If you want to make a shrub cocktail, add the shrub syrup and 1 ounce of gin, vodka or tequila to a cocktail shaker and shake. Pour into a glass, then top it off with the club soda. Add more alcohol and/or fruit syrup as desired. 

Do I have to use cane sugar?

Nope! Though it's a decent amount of sugar, each drink only uses 3 tablespoons of the syrup, which I don't think is too bad. However, if you want to lighten up this shrub recipe, I suggest using a ½ cup of honey, and then adding more to taste. I personally wouldn't use maple syrup, as I think it'll impact the overall flavor too much. 

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the shrub syrup in a jar with a lid in the fridge for up to 10 months. I don't recommend freezing the syrup or storing it at room temperature. 

two cocktail glasses with fruity drinks in them besides fresh strawberries and fresh blackberries

More easy drink recipes

  • Blackberry Thyme Margarita
  • Adrenal Cocktail
  • Lavender Moscow Mule 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

two cocktail glasses with fruity drinks in them besides fresh strawberries and fresh blackberries

Fruity Shrub Recipe

This fruity Shrub Recipe is made with vinegar and sparkling water to create a tasty, lightly sweetened drink. Making homemade drinking vinegar couldn't be simpler! 
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 day day
Total Time: 1 day day 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Erin

Ingredients

blackberry sage shrub:

  • 4 cups blackberries
  • 20 sage leaves more or less to taste
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • â…“ cup apple cider vinegar
  • tonic water
  • fresh squeeze of lime juice optional

grapefruit mint shrub:

  • 1 grapefruit peeled and sliced
  • 2 cups strawberries chopped
  • 20 mint leaves more or less to taste
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • â…“ cup white wine vinegar
  • tonic water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Both shrub recipes are made the exact same way.
  • Add the fruit, fresh herbs, sugar, and vinegar to a bowl, then use a potato masher to mash everything together for 2 full minutes. Then, switch over to a fork and continue mashing for 1-2 minutes until the fruit is broken down really well.
  • Cover the bowl either with a lid or plastic wrap, then place it in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, stirring the mixture a couple times a day.
  • Once it's refrigerated, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to really press as much fruit juice out as possible.
  • Before serving: fill a glass with ice, then add 3 tablespoons of the shrub simple syrup to the glass, then top it off with tonic water. Stir, taste test and add more fruit syrup as needed. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation; serving size varies based on what size glass you use

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published in August 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in April 2023.

« Shrimp Lo Mein
Instant Pot Butter Chicken »
  • Share
  • Tweet

About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. shelly Rathore says

    October 03, 2018 at 6:33 am

    Blackberry sage shurb... looks tasty..
    thanks for giving this recpie

    Reply
  2. Sarah Hughes says

    September 01, 2018 at 8:09 am

    Going to try this, would coconut sugar or xylitol be ok to sub for the cane sugar? I’ve been taking ACV for around 2 months now, took a couple of weeks to make peace with it - now water without it is just plain old boring, but this looks like it might be nice as a treat.

    I found if I drink ACV in chilled water, and take vitamins and medicines, I can get through it pretty quickly.

    💜

    Reply
    • Erin says

      September 01, 2018 at 9:45 am

      I think coconut sugar should work. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  3. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    August 30, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    I watched your behind the scenes photo shoot for this so I love seeing how it turned out!!! Also I'm TOTALLY making this because it sounds so dang delish!

    Reply
  4. Patty says

    August 29, 2018 at 1:14 pm

    How long will this last? Can it be canned? Would canning negate any health benefits?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 30, 2018 at 9:15 am

      This should last a few months if stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

      Reply
  5. Kit B says

    August 29, 2018 at 10:26 am

    This looks amazing! I love shrubs--as a cocktail, that is 🙂

    Reply
  6. Lynn | The Road to Honey says

    August 29, 2018 at 7:13 am

    I haven't gotten onto the vinegar bandwagon yet. . .even with the urging of my personal trainer. Not really sure why because, unlike you, I looooove vinegar. This little blackberry number might be just what I need to push me over into that world. It looks so refreshing. And since the hubby and I are limiting alcohol consumption as part of our nutrition program. . .these beauties just might be the perfect way to quench our palate when water just won't do.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 29, 2018 at 9:01 am

      Yes! This would be perfect then 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

girl in kitchen

Hi, I'm Erin!

I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

Seasonal Picks

pasta salad made with mediterranean ingredients

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

bowl with lemon orzo salad beside a small dish of chopped fresh basil

Lemon Orzo Salad

cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out

Vegan Carrot Cake

berries and ice cream in a bowl

Gluten Free Rhubarb Crisp

Popular Recipes

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

bowl with ground pork and vegetables

Banh Mi Bowl (Paleo, Whole30)

a bowl of pasta with lentils and red sauce

Lentil Bolognese Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

sweet potato brownies

Flourless Sweet Potato Brownies

dog eating cake

Mini Dog Birthday Cake

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash | squash filled with onions, mushrooms and kale for a healthy, vegetarian meal | thealmondeater.com

Caramelized Onion Spaghetti Squash

As Featured On

Footer

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • 👉 The Almond Eater Monthly Cooking Challenge

Copyright© 2023 | The Almond Eater. Site Credit

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter