Raspberry Shrub

Raspberry Shrub from 1911

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1911

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A vinegar-based drink might sound a little suspect at first glance, but they’ve been popular since at least Ancient Rome, where soldiers drank a thirst-quenching energy drink called posca. This recipe for shrub, from the first African American celebrity chef, Rufus Estes, is a thick syrup that can be drunk straight, but I like it better mixed with sparkling water or as part of a cocktail. The cooking process does make your house smell like vinegar, but the shrub itself isn’t vinegary; it has a delightful, refreshing combination of sweet and sour that has a similar profile to a whiskey sour or a tart lemon drop martini.

“Put one quart of ripe raspberries in a bowl, add two cups of vinegar, mash the berries slightly, and let stand overnight. In the morning, scald and strain until clear. Measure, and to each cup of juice add one cup of sugar, boil twenty minutes and seal.”

— Good Things to Eat, as Suggested by Rufus, by Rufus Estes, 1911

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Ingredients:

• 1 quart (700 g) fresh ripe raspberries, washed
• 2 cups (475 ml) white wine vinegar
• 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
• Sparkling water, if desired

Instructions:

1. Put the raspberries in a small saucepan with the white wine vinegar. Mash the berries enough so that there are no full berries left intact, but it does not need to be mashed to a puree. Cover the saucepan and let it sit for at least 12 hours.
2. Once the berries have been infused with the vinegar, take the saucepan and set it over a medium heat, bringing it to a boil for 1 minute. Then remove it from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve into a large saucepan. Add the sugar and whisk until dissolved, then set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer for 20 mintues, stirring occasionally to ensure all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove the shrub from the heat and let it cool completely before pouring it into a container to chill in the refrigerator.
3. Once chilled, the shrub is ready to use. Pour it as-is over ice, lightly dilute it with sparkling water, or mix it into a cocktail of white wine or the spirit of your choice, and serve it forth.

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