Strawberry Basil Shrub

Name: Strawberry Basil Shrub
Prep time: 48 h
Total time: 48 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 lb (226 g) strawberries, from 1/2 a regular sized package; 1 cup (250 ml) red wine vinegar; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 16 basil leaves; 1 oz (30 ml) strawberry basil shrub; 3 oz (90 ml) elderflower tonic water*; 3 oz (90 ml) club soda

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This sweet and tangy Strawberry Basil Shrub is extremely refreshing on a hot sunny day! It’s fruity, fragrant, and great to sip on when topped off with fizzy water.

This Strawberry Basil Shrub is a great way to use up any summer fruit and basil leaves. Like our Hibiscus Syrup, you can add it to whatever you want to make all kinds of summery drinks. It has a sweet, fruity, and light peppery flavor that we love making non-alcoholic shrub cocktails with.

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What is a Shrub?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Step-by-Step Instructions
Expert Tips
FAQ
Storage
More Non-Alcoholic Drinks
📖 Recipe

What is a Shrub?

If you’ve never heard of a shrub (in the drinking sense), the first thing that comes to mind might be a little green bush. But in this case, it’s a syrup made from vinegar, sugar, fruit, and aromatics like herbs and spices.

It’s also known as “drinking vinegar” and can be used to make alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. It was once used in Victorian times as a remedy for scurvy and became popular in the US during The Prohibition.

Because of the preserving properties of vinegar and sugar, shrubs have a relatively long shelf life so you can keep them in the fridge for a long time.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to Make: It only takes a few minutes to prep the shrub syrup which comes together in one large measuring glass.
Refreshing: Chilled fizzy water makes this drink cool, crisp, and ultra refreshing.
Makes Multiple Drinks: You’ll have plenty of syrup to make multiple drinks throughout the summer!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.

Red Wine Vinegar: You can also use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar. Just note that the color will be lighter, and the flavor less intense.
Strawberries: You’ll need ½ a pound (226 g) of strawberries which is ½ a regular sized package from the store.
Fresh Basil: If you have any leftover basil leaves, this is a good way to use them up!
Granulated Sugar: Over time the sugar will dissolve and thicken into a syrup. We like white sugar for this recipe because of its neutral flavor.
Elderflower Tonic Water: It’s one of our favorite bubbly drinks to add to cocktails. The sweet and slightly dry flavor adds a nice touch!
Club Soda: You can also use sparkling water.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Pouring red wine vinegar into a measuring glass.

STEP 1: Prep the strawberries. Wash, hull, and cut the strawberries into chunks.

STEP 2: Prepare the shrub. Add the red wine vinegar into a 4 cup measuring cup then toss in the sugar, strawberry chunks, and torn basil leaves. Stir to combine.

STEP 3: Cover and refrigerate. Make sure everything is submerged in the vinegar then cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 48 hours. After the first day, give it a quick stir to dissolve some of the sugar.

STEP 4: Strain the syrup. After 2 days, give it another good stir to dissolve any remaining sugar. (it’s ok if there’s a bit still on the bottom). Gently squish some of the strawberries against the sides of the cup to extract more juices then strain the mixture using a fine mesh sieve. Use a spoon to squish as much juice out as possible when straining.

Pouring strawberry basil shrub syrup into a glass with ice.

STEP 5: Make a shrub drink. To make a non-alcoholic strawberry basil shrub, pour 1 oz of the syrup with 3 oz each of elderflower tonic water and club soda into a glass filled with ice. Gently stir to combine and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Chill your club soda and tonic water. This makes such a huge difference! Colder beverages hold more carbon dioxide (bubbles) giving you a crisper, more effervescent drink.
Save the soaked strawberry chunks. Instead of discarding them, add them on top of a salad, steak, or pair them with a dollop of crème fraîche.
The syrup can be used for more than just drinks! Mix together some of the syrup with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil to make a salad dressing. You can also use it in marinades or as a glaze for chicken and steak.

FAQ

What if I don’t have elderflower tonic water?

That’s ok! Just substitute the tonic water with more club soda.

Can I use different berries?

Yes, feel free to experiment with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.

Do I need to muddle the fruit first?

No, since this shrub is infused over the course of two days, the flavors have plenty of time to properly infuse without the need for muddling them. If you want, you can muddle the strawberries before adding the other ingredients.

Storage

Store the strawberry basil shrub syrup in an airtight bottle or jar and keep it refrigerated for up to 6 months. If it starts to look moldy or slimy, throw it out immediately.

More Non-Alcoholic Drinks

If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!

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