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Make Your Own Blood Orange Shrub
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Shrubs and drinking vinegars are making their way out of cocktail bars and into homes
Sweet and acidic, cocktail shrubs are made of a combination of aromatics, fruit concentrates, sugars, and vinegars. They are traditionally enjoyed as either a component of a mixed drink or with soda water. You can make shrubs at any time of year with almost any kind of fruit— from summer berries and peaches, to apples, grapefruits, and pomegranates in the winter. FIKA Café's talented team use shrubs as the backbone of many of their cocktails. Handmade, and frequently rotated, FIKA’s shrubs were recently listed among the Star Tribune’s best alcohol-free cocktail options in the Twin Cities. Spice up your at-home cocktail game with this blood orange shrub recipe, straight from the minds at FIKA!
FIKA Café Blood Orange Shrub
Note! Give yourself a head start on this recipe as the infusion takes about 24 hours.
Serving Makes two cups
Time Prep: 15 minutes Infusion time: 24 hours
Ingredients • 2 cups apple cider vinegar • 3 blood oranges, sliced • 1.75 cups white sugar (or substitute brown sugar)
Shrub Concentrate Instructions • Wash and remove zest from blood oranges in wide strips with a vegetable peeler, leaving as much pith behind as possible.
Slice oranges into small pieces (the smaller the better!) • In a sterile mason jar, add orange peel and sugar. Use a wooded spatula to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant. • Add sliced orange segments and stir. Cover securely and store overnight in a dark, cool area. • After 12 hours, shake the mason jar to make sure the sugar fully dissolves. Let sit for another 6 hours. • Stir in vinegar and give the mason jar another shake. Let sit for another 6 hours. • Taste your shrub concentrate — it should be well-balanced sweet-and-sour flavor; add more vinegar by the tablespoon if desired.
Strain out the contents using an ultra-fine mesh filter. • Can be kept in the fridge, sealed, for about two months.
Shrub Drink Instructions • Add 2 oz (about 3 tbsp) of shrub concentrate in a 12oz glass • Fill glass with ice • Add Club soda and stir gently • Garnish with orange wheel • Enjoy!
You probably won’t even miss the alcohol, but if you do, spike each drink with 1 ½ oz vodka or whiskey. And if you can’t get your hands on blood oranges, use orange zest and blood orange juice or a mix of 3 oranges and 1 lemon to mimic the sweet and tangy flavor of blood oranges.
