Shrub Any Berry

There’s no summer beverage more refreshing than a puckering fruit shrub mixed with club soda over ice. There are many ways to make a shrub, but we prefer the cold-process method in which ripe berries and sugar macerate for a day until they turn into a flavorful syrup. Once you strain the fruit syrup into your jar, you can add all kinds of additional flavors to infuse your final shrub. A few to try: a 2"-piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced; a small bunch of basil or mint leaves, clapped to release aromas; a few sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme; or a 3"-piece of lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, smashed. Mix the resulting fruity-sweet vinegar with club soda (and maybe tequila or gin, no one’s stopping you!) and you’ve got the makings of an instant party drink. You can drink the shrub right away, but it will taste even better after a week or so when the flavors have mellowed.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Gently mash berries in a medium bowl with a fork. Transfer to jar, add sugar, and stir to combine. Seal jar and let fruit mixture sit at room temperature, shaking a couple of times, until berries are very soft and falling apart and sugar is at least mostly dissolved, about 1 day (mixture should look very juicy).

Step 2

Step 2 Strain fruit mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (line sieve with a layer of cheesecloth if you want to catch every bit of seed and fruit pulp) into a medium bowl; discard fruit. Scrape any undissolved sugar left in jar into bowl.

Step 3

Step 3 Add vinegar to syrup and stir to combine. Taste shrub and add more sugar or vinegar to your liking—it should taste both sweet and sharp but not overpowering in either direction (keep in mind the flavors will meld as the shrub ages). Pour shrub into a clean jar; cover with lid and chill until flavors come together and mellow, at least 1 week.

Step 4

Do ahead: Shrub can be made 6 months ahead. Keep chilled.

Step 5

For a refreshing nonalcoholic drink, pour 2 Tbsp. shrub into a glass filled with ice and top off with club soda; stir gently to combine. Garnish with berries and/or herbs if desired.