Cherry shrub is a sweet and sour mixture of fresh cherries, cider vinegar and sugar that is strained and cooked briefly. While shrubs can be alcoholic (where the vinegar is replaced by alcohol, and have citrus as a base) or non-alcoholic, all shrubs have a sweet-tart flavor to them.
The word shrub comes from Arabic, and was first used in English in the mid-18th century to describe blends of alcohol, citrus juice and peel, and other spices that were sweetened with sugar, then filtered and bottled. Before the advent of refrigeration, these drinks could be preserved throughout the summer months without spoiling. Shrubs are very similar to gastriques, which are sauces made from caramelized sugar deglazed with some sort of acidity.
Some popular cocktails containing Cherry shrub
- Arbusto Oaxaca 2 — Mezcal, Campari, Maraschino Liqueur, Bitters, Cherry shrub
- Fenway Sling — Gold rum, Bénédictine, Bitters, Cherry shrub, Seltzer water
- An Oblique Manhattan — Bourbon, Sweet vermouth, Bitters, Absinthe, Cherry shrub, Orange peel
- Pink Eye — Gin, Sweet vermouth, Campari, Amère Sauvage, Peychaud's Bitters, Cherry shrub, Half-and-half
- Mulberry Street — Rye, Ramazzotti, Cherry shrub, Orange peel
- Sour Cherry Smash — Light rum, Triple sec, Club soda, Cherry shrub, Cherry, Basil
- Cherry Shrub Spritzer — Aromatized wine, Seltzer water, Cherry shrub, Lime juice
- "How High the Moon" Manhattan — Rye, Sweet vermouth, Cherry shrub
Explore more Cherry shrub cocktails.