For those of you in the beginning stages of cocktail making may be wondering, “what is a shrub?” Other than it being another word for a bush, a “shrub” is basically a fruit vinegar. It adds the perfect balance between the sweet & savory to a cocktail.
Gin pairs very well with most shrubs and this Tangerine Shrub is no exception!
Prior to the invention of refrigeration, a shrub syrup was a means of preserving fruit long past its picking. Shrubs were popular in Colonial America, mixed with cool water to provide a pick-me-up on hot summer days.
The process of making a shrub includes making an oleo-saccharum which translates as “oily sugar”.
Tangerine Shrub Cocktail Recipe:
Makes 1 8oz Cocktail
- 2oz. Gin (Glorious Gin is what I used)
- 1oz. Tangerine Shrub*
- 1oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4-5 Fresh Mint Leaves
- 2oz. Sparkling Orange Pellegrino or Club Soda
Oleo-Saccharum – Recipe: Makes 1/2 Cup
- 2 Tangerines – peel of tangerine w/out the white pith
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Mint Leaves
- 1/2 Cup Turbinado or Raw Sugar
Tangerine Shrub – Recipe: Makes Approximately 4 Cups
- 5-6 Fresh Tangerines Juiced
- 3/4 Cup Champagne Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Tangerine Mint Oleo-Saccharum*
Profile: Classic/Original~Refreshing and Sweet
Glass: Collins
Garnish: Mint Sprig
Instructions:
Oleo-Saccharum
Remove the zest of your tangerines with a vegetable peeler. Try to avoid the white pithy part of the peel, it is pretty bitter. Pull the mint leaves from the stems.
Cocktail
In a glass mixing pint combine the tangerine shrub mix with the lemon juice ,mint and gin. Add ice and shake for a few seconds.
Add ice to the collins glass. Double strain through a fine mesh strainer the contents of the mixing glass into the collins glass.
Top with sparkling soda.
Garnish with mint sprig and serve.
