Strawberry Shrub Spritz Mocktail
When I have a jar of strawberry shrub in the fridge, mocktail hour turns into a five second pour and stir. This sweet tart syrup wakes up plain soda and gives you a grown up, fizzy sip with almost no work.
Yield: 4 drinks
Materials
- For the strawberry shrub make ahead
- Fresh strawberries hulled and sliced — 2 cups
- Granulated sugar — 1 cup
- Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar — 1 cup
- For the spritz
- Strawberry shrub — 1 to 2 tablespoons per glass
- Club soda or sparkling water — about 4 cups chilled
- Ice
- Fresh strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- Make the strawberry shrub base
- In a glass jar or bowl, combine the sliced strawberries and sugar. Stir, then let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or until the fruit releases plenty of juice and looks syrupy.
- Add vinegar and chill
- Stir in the vinegar until everything is well combined. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight so the flavors can mellow and blend. Strain out the solids and keep the syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 months.
- Build the spritz
- To make one drink, fill a glass with ice. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of strawberry shrub, depending on how strong and tangy you like it. Top with chilled club soda or sparkling water and stir gently.
- Taste and adjust
- If the drink is too tangy, add a touch more shrub or a splash of simple syrup. If it tastes too sweet, add extra soda and ice until it feels light and refreshing.
- Garnish and serve
- Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and serve right away for a sweet tart, fizzy unwind moment.
Notes
For a twist, you can swap half of the strawberries for chopped rhubarb if you want a sharper, more complex note. Once the shrub is made, your mocktail really is just pour, top with soda, add ice, and stir.