This Rhubarb Shrub Recipe is a perfect way to celebrate spring flavors. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it is a fresh, tart, and bright addition to many drinks (alcoholic or non).
Rhubarb Shrub Recipe FAQ
Make shrub. It is a great way to use up your rhubarb; it uses a lot in one recipe - 4 full cups (500 grams)!
A shrub is a concentrated syrup traditionally made by combining equal amounts of fruit, sugar, and vinegar that are then slightly fermented. Its name is derived from the Arabic sharb, which means "to drink." This version of the shrub has origins in 17th century England, where it was used to preserve produce in the winter months. As refrigeration came into vogue, shrubs became less popular.
Drinking vinegar shrubs act as the base flavoring in a variety of cocktails; the ratios used in shrub syrups are flexible and can be customized to personal preference.
After straining the shrub, the leftover rhubarb pieces are still completely edible. You can use pickled rhubarb on top of salads, mixed with yogurt, or on top of oatmeal. You may want to slice it once more as some thicker pieces will not want to soften much. Alternatively, pickled rhubarb can be cooked down into a sauce that could be treated as a chutney.
In the early 2010's, drinking vinegar began becoming more commonplace in American bars. Since a shrub drink is so acidic, it pairs very well with cocktails and can act as a stand-in for bitters.
Do you love rhubarb? Be sure to check out this round up of Other Great Rhubarb Recipes.
Ingredients and Steps to Make a Rhubarb Shrub
- Fruit of choice (berries, citrus , or of course rhubarb)
- Apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- White sugar
- Salt
- Combine sliced rhubarb with sugar and salt. Pour into a large jar.
- Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for an hour or two. Place the jar in the fridge overnight.
- Twenty four hours later, add vinegar to the jar, seal, and shake to combine. Let sit at room temperature for a couple more hours.
- Strain rhubarb pieces out of jar and store shrub liquid in a sealable container.
The photo below illustrates what happens in Step 2 of the recipe. While rhubarb/sugar mixture is left to sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, it releases a fair amount of liquid and softens.
The most common use of shrub is of course in a cocktail. It can be mixed with sparkling wine, vodka and seltzer, or gin and juice. In a "mocktail," the shrub can be mixed with sparkling water and fresh herbs to create a delicious and non-alcoholic beverage.
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Other Rhubarb Recipes
Tessellated Rhubarb Almond Cake
Other Pink Cocktail Recipes
Rhubarb Shrub and Cocktail
Ingredients
For shrub base:
- 4 cups sliced rhubarb from 3-4 large stalks (500 grams)
- 1 ½ cups organic cane sugar 300 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1.15 grams
- Optional add-ins: 1 sprig mint 1 sprig lavender, 1 TBS grated ginger
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar 287.5 grams
For cocktail option (makes two):
- 1 oz rhubarb shrub
- 2 oz gin
- 1 sprig mint to garnish
For mocktail option:
- 1 oz rhubarb shrub
- 4 oz flavored sparkling or soda water of choice
- 1 sprig mint to garnish
Instructions
- Combine sliced rhubarb with sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add in optional additional flavoring component. Pour into a large, sealable container, like a jar.
- Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for an hour or two. You will see the liquid from the rhubarb begin to collect in the jar (pictured above). Place the jar in the fridge overnight.
- Twenty four hours later, add vinegar to the jar, seal, and shake to combine. Let sit at room temperature for a couple more hours.
- Strain rhubarb pieces out of jar and store shrub liquid in a sealable container. It will last for a few weeks in the fridge!
- To make a cocktail or mocktail, combine remaining ingredients in an ice-filler shaker and strain into a chilled glass
Sue0523 says
One of my favorite drinks! Word to the wise - red wine vinegar really works best. I used some cider vinegar I had on hand - still delicious, but not as smooth. Thanks for this great spring refresher!
Emily says
Thank you for the comment, I agree!