FIZZY RHUBARB SHRUB





I don't know about you, but I take immense pleasure in a good drink. Coffee is a daily necessity for me. I try to be diligent about my water intake. But really I find nothing more refreshing than a fruity, homemade beverage.

I'm guessing most of you are hip to the shrub thang, but if shrubs are new to you, you're in for a treat. If you're solidly in the ultra sweet soda-y camp, you might find the vinegar hit of a shrub to be odd, but if you're like me and dig a drink that's sweet, tart, and bubbly all at the same time, shrubs will treat you right.

Rhubarb - always a good player in the tangy-sweet world - seems a perfect springtime star for a homemade shrub.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pound rhubarb, sliced into into 1/4 inch semicircles
  • 2 cups light agave nectar
  • 1/2 cup good quality apple cider vinegar 
  • sparking water
  • optional for serving: sprigs of fresh thyme, kumquat slices, or an orange twist would be nice here






In a medium mixing bowl, combine sliced rhubarb and agave. Cover and let sit at room temp for 48-72 hours. Strain, reserving syrup. Add good apple cider vinegar to the liquid and you’ve got your shrub. (Feel free to add more vinegar if that suits you, adjusting the tang to your liking.) Transfer syrup to a lidded container - and keep in the refrigerator.

( You can discard the rhubarb slices, or I save them in a separate lidded container and add them to my morning bowl of granola and Greek yogurt.)

I'd suggest combining 3-4 portions sparkling water to 1 portion of shrub, but feel free to make a more concentrated or diluted shrub depending on your taste. Serve over ice. Add a little citrus or fresh thyme if you please. You can also add a splash of rhubarb shrub to your cocktails.







66 comments:

  1. A delightful drink. What a lovely flavour combination.

    Beautiful pictures, as always...


    Cheers,

    Rosa

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    1. Thanks Rosa! I hope you're well:) xo

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  2. What a beautiful drink and it does look so refreshing! I hope you and your family are well! xxoo

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    1. Najwa, thanks! All well here. I hope your gang is doing well too. I bet you're dying for spring to stick!
      xoxo
      E

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  3. Would you believe I've never tried a shrub! This rhubarb one looks like the perfect opportunity to start! xo jess

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  4. Ooh yum! My grandma used to make me fruity apple cider vinegar concoctions often when I was smaller, and I guzzled them down. I remember pear and grape the best... Sounds fantastic and springy with the rhubarb

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    1. Natasha, lucky you that your grandma was making you shrubs! I love the idea of pear... I bet that was so so good.
      xo
      E

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  5. Too funny Erin! We must be kindreds or something because I'm macerating the exact same thing right now! We should swap shrubs ;)

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    1. Great minds lady! Rhubarb and shrubs are made for each other!
      I'd love to swap shrubs... too bad this internet can't teleport.
      xoxo

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  6. Absolutely gorgeous, Erin. That color -- rhubarb truly is magical.

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    1. Thanks lady! I do love rhubarb... it's magical for sure:) xoxo

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  7. I bet you can use the rhubarb for pie! As always: love your pictures!

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    1. Eva, such a good idea! Now you've got me thinking about rhubarb pies, tarted and crisps:)

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  8. I've never heard of shrubs before, and I'm really very excited to learn something new! This seems like the perfect beverage to ring in the warmer weather :-)

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    1. Fun! I'm glad to introduce you to the delicious world of shrubs:)
      Xo
      E

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  9. I've never had a shrub before, let alone made one, but I think I need to try it out! You have to love the tang of fresh spring rhubarb. :)

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    1. Eileen, if you like that rhubarb tang, you'll love a shrub. Hope you're well! xoxo

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  10. I love everything about this drink. I drink water all day, but I get bored of it too. This looks like a perfect spring refreshment :)

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    1. Kristie, I'm the same way - I keep trying to come up with water alternatives to spice things up. This shrub is a real treat... I happen to have another batch brewing right now:)
      xoxo
      E

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  11. I'm so into the shrub thing - got hooked after tasting an array of shrubs at Gather a few months back. Any fizzy drink tops my list and rhubarb? Yum! Where did you get that bottle you put the shrub in and these perfect wooden spoons?? I need them.

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    1. Shrubs do hit the spot, don't they Sarah?
      The bottle was a gift from my friend Abby (she bought in somewhere in SF, but I'm not sure where.) And the little spoons are from our time in Bali.
      I hope you're week is going better. Dissertation time is rough!
      xoxo
      E

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  12. It probably says something about the week I'm having that the first thing I thought when I read this post was 'I bet that would be good with a splash of vodka' and it's only 9am ;)

    Seriously though, I love rhubarb and I love the idea of this shrub. This is my weekend project sorted!

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    1. Oh no! Sorry to hear you're having that kind of week. I'd say go for it with the splash of vodka or gin - it would be delish.
      xoxo
      E

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  13. Gorgeous snaps, of course. I may make this just so I can have that agave-soaked rhubarb in my morning yogurt.

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    1. Thanks lady! I'm going to have a bowl of your delicious granola with Greek yogurt and some rhubarb this morning:)
      xoxoxo
      E

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  14. This is a beauty of a drink! I'm a sucker for forced pink rhubarb and its girlishness but real rhubarb is gorgeous too, exemplified by this. Just lovely.

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    1. Thanks Kate! If you significantly dilute this shrub you end up with a pretty pale pink bubbly glass. I'm a sucker for that kind of girlishness too.
      xoxo
      E

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  15. Heck yes, love shrubs. Looks divine Erin!

    I drink a lot of hot water throughout the day to try and stave off my appetite, it works sometimes:)

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  16. This looks fantastic , I love shrubs.

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    1. Glad to hear there are a lot of us shrub-lovers out there! Thanks for stopping by Gerlinde.

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  17. This sounds delicious! I also love the tang of shrubs!

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    1. Me too Shelly. The tang is so nice:)

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  18. Mark another newbie here- but I can't wait to try a shrub. This looks so refreshing- I'm looking forward to spring rhubarb.

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    1. Oh good. Glad to see you're a shrub newbie, Cred... you're in for a treat for sure. xoxo

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  19. Is that all there is to making shrub?! Oh, I love it! I think the first time I tried drinking vinegar was at Pok Pok and I've been hooked ever since. The sun is coming out in Salem this week and this sounds so refreshing and bright! Perfect timing, Erin :) I love your posts! Hope you and the family are well!

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    1. Hey you, yep, shrubs are crazy easy. I've never been to Pok Pok, was it fabulous? Lucky you!
      Enjoy the sunshine, my friend:)
      xoxox
      E

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  20. Erin - I learned something NEW today! Never heard or had a shrub - but now I have a fantastic recipe for one. I adore rhubarb! Hope you are doing well!

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    1. Awesome! I'm psyched to introduce you to the tasty land of shrubs, Lisa. xoxo

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  21. I have loved the sweet-sour refershing quality of shrubs after having my first one at an Andy Ricker restuarant in Oregon. This rhubarb one couldn't be any prettier. It is the picture of spring.

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  22. Oh how I love a good drink! I've never had a shrub so thanks for introducing me to it. The rhubarb must be heavenly. I should get some asap. Beautiful photos as always, Erin. xoxo

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    1. Magda, give shrubs a try - I think you'd really enjoy them!
      I'm so happy that it's that rhubarb time of year, aren't you?
      xoxo
      E

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  23. Erin, would it work with honey or maple syrup? And what kind of apple cider vinegar do you like? I'm thinking of trying Braggs.

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    1. p.s. I'm seeing people online soaking the fruit in vinegar also, rather than adding afterward. Any thoughts on that?

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    2. Hey Jenna, great questions. Here are my thoughts...
      Yep, Braggs is perfect.
      And yes you can use other sweeteners. I just made a batch with a combo of agave and honey and it was delish. Maple could be good, but the favor might be overpowering. My suggestion if you use other sweeteners is to adjust the vinegar according to taste. For example, the agave yielded way more syrup than the honey so I added less vinegar to that batch.
      I haven't tried soaking the fruit in vinegar from the start, but I'd be curious to know how that goes for you if you try it.
      hope that helps:)

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  24. I am loving the color of the fizz! So pretty :)

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    1. Thanks Kankana! So nice to hear from you. Hope you're well!
      xoxo
      E

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  25. I'm going to give this a try, but question. Do you know if the vinegar offers the same health benefits as the probiotics in kombucha? What's the difference? One difference is for sure....this looks way easier than making kombucha. :)

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    1. Hey Kate, great question! I don't know, but I would guess that there is a nice probiotic boost in a good apple cider vin - though I'm not sure how it would compare to kombucha.
      xo
      E

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  26. Erin, this looks amazing! So pretty and refreshing! I'm with you on thoroughly enjoying a good drink - be it coffee, kombucha, a nice cocktail... I've been searching for rhubarb every weekend (it's still a bit chilly here) but fingers crossed I'll come across some soon! xo

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    1. Hey there Christine, I hope rhubarb comes your way soon. Such a treat! xoxo E

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  27. Wow, this sounds so fabulous!

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    1. Thanks Aida. Such a treat to see you here! xo E

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  28. Beautiful, beautiful blog!
    ~Theresa

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  29. This looks so refreshing! It would be perfect for the muggy day we're having. I'm kind of fascinated with shrubs and would like to fill my refrigerator with them.

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    1. I'm with you Lisa. I'm fascinated by shrubs too. xoxo

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  30. I am so excited by all of the possibilities of rhubarb right now. Rhubarb shrub, yes! xoxo!

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    1. Hey lady, nice to hear from you! I hope all's well:)
      xoxo

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  31. Hi Erin, what a wonderful drink. We are just coming into the citrus season and one of my favourite drinks is a mandarin and rosemary fizz. I must remember to try rhubarb one time. Beautiful post. Love your book too!

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    1. Martyna, mandarin and rosemary fizz sounds awesome! What a combo,
      I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying my book - makes me so so happy to hear.
      xo
      E

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Thanks,
E