I’ve explained what shrubs are before but in case you’ve forgotten, shrubs are drinking vinegars that are sweetened up a bit. They’re perfect in alcoholic beverages and they’re great on their own as spritzers. Most shrubs have a base flavor, the sweetener then some type of herb or spice, if desired. I’ve made a shrubs before and find them to be quite enjoyable. It’s an acquired taste but it’s one I seem to really like. There’s something about the tartness from the vinegar that excites my taste buds. Today, I decided to try my hand at making a pear shrub to see just how I’d fancy that flavor.
Sometimes our fridge gets packed with stuff and in an effort to not let foods go to waste, John and I used to juice things on Sunday’s. That has since stopped because I’ve gotten lazy. I’m not too lazy to drink juice, I’m just simply too lazy to clean my juicer. Do you have a juicer? I really like it and it’s awesome if you want to save some coins and juice at home. However, cleaning the juicer afterwards is tedious and for that reason, I’ve stopped.
Is that a lame reason?
Maybe it is but it’s a true statement and I’m sticking by it. So now, instead of juicing all the things, I try to think creatively of what I can do with random herbs, vegetables and fruits. This time around, I had pears so obviously that means I should make a pear shrub, right? I love pears and a pear shrub sounded like something I could get with. Spoiler alert: it was delicious.
Pear shrub mocktail
The thing I love most about shrubs is that the sky is the limit on the type of flavor combinations you can use. And did I mention how easy they are? There are two methods of making shrubs: cold and hot. Cold takes a bit longer than the hot process but they both result in a delicious shrub.
To make the pear shrub, I used the hot method. Truth be told, it’s the lazy way and my preferred method. This beverage has been my favorite non-alcoholic beverage I’ve made thus far. It was a nice way defrag from the day without feeling icky and hungover later.
Ingredients
Pear Shrub
- Water
- Sugar
- 1 large pear, chopped
- Apple cider vinegar
Mocktail
- 1.5 oz shrub
- Fresh lemon juice
- Sparkling water
Instructions
To make the shrub
- In a small pot, heat equal parts water and sugar to make a syrup. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
- Add in the chopped pears, simmer then stir in the vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer than remove from heat.
- Strain into a jar and allow it to cool.
To make the cocktail
- In a glass with ice, combine the shrub and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; stir. Top with sparkling water.
