Skip to main content
Epicurious

Blueberry-Lavender Shrub

By Michael Dietsch

5.0

(1)

Two Tom Collins glasses of blueberry lavender shrub with apple cider vinegar ice and sprigs of lavender.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

I can usually smell lavender before I see it. The day I bought the lavender to develop this softly floral blueberry shrub recipe was no exception. I was walking through the Union Square Greenmarket and caught a whiff. I looked around to find the stand that had herbs and then finally located the lavender on a back table. Though the herb is pungent, it still complements the blueberries without being overwhelming. Wash lavender well before using. Choose blueberries that have no obvious mold on them; you can also used thawed frozen berries. Shrubs can be mixed with sparkling water or paired with spirits in cocktails.

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries
1 cup sugar
8–10 lavender sprigs
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place blueberries and sugar into a medium bowl. Crush the berries, and then stir to combine.

    Step 2

    Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Allow to macerate for up to two days.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, place lavender into a nonreactive container, cover with cider vinegar, and refrigerate for up to two days.

    Step 4

    Position a fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour blueberry mixture through to remove solids.

    Step 5

    Strain vinegar mixture over the same mesh strainer, into same bowl as blueberry syrup. Allow to combine.

    Step 6

    You may have some sugar clinging to the berry solids in the strainer. If so, set the strainer with the solids over another small bowl. Pour the syrup-and-vinegar mixture over the solids to wash the sugar into the bowl. Repeat as needed.

    Step 7

    Pour syrup-and-vinegar mixture into a sanitized mason jar. Cap it, shake it well to incorporate any undissolved sugar, and place in the refrigerator for a week before using.

    Step 8

    Discard the solids or save them for another use.

Image may contain: Drink, Cocktail, Alcohol, Beverage, Vase, Plant, Pottery, Potted Plant, Jar, Cutlery, and Spoon
Excerpted from Shrubs: An Old-Fashioned Drink for Modern Times by Michael Dietsch. Copyright © 2016. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsCocktailAlcoholBeveragesBlueberryBerryFruit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Kimchi Bloody Mary
The kimchi brine is the secret hero here; just a splash of it brightens the cocktail while deepening it with a little funky je ne sais quoi.
Sea Breeze
Gourmet’s version of this perfect summer drink mixes the ideal ratio of vodka with cranberry and grapefruit juices, right in the glass.
Not-So-Secret Burger Sauce
Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Grape Dumplings
Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Fluffier, fresher, and fancier than anything from a tub or can.
Paloma Slushy
Frozen into a slushy, the classic tequila and grapefruit cocktail becomes even more refreshing.
Palets Bretons
Palets bretons are oversize cookies that feature butter, and because they’re from Brittany, they’re traditionally made with beurre salé, salted butter.