Plum Shrub Cocktail

Updated November 30, 2024

Yesterday we all got together and made a plum shrub, and now we’re ready to put it to good use. That’s right. It’s cocktail time.  You didn’t think I was gonna leave you hanging, did you? In addition to adding a depth of flavor, a shrub brings balance to a cocktail in place of other more traditional ingredients like simple syrup and citrus. For this cocktail I wanted to use a fair amount of our hard-earned plum shrub. In turn, I countered the sharpness of the vinegar with a sweet bourbon, then layered in a bit of nuttiness with a dry sherry. The cool part is that the flavor or the shrub is constantly evolving. Two weeks from now, when the vinegar has mellowed and the shrub is a bit sweeter, you may think about switching the bourbon for a rye. Or, maybe even add a dash of bitters. You see how great shrubs are? Pretty magical stuff, indeed.

Plum Shrub Cocktail

A wonderfully complex yet simple cocktail where the sharpness of the vinegar pairs nicely with a sweet bourbon, and is layered with the nuttiness of a dry sherry.

Servings: 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 oz bourbon
  • 3/4 oz plum shrub
  • 1/4 oz dry Amontillado sherry
  • 1 large/oversized ice cube
  • 1 slice plum (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
  2. Fill your mixing glass with ice.
  3. Stir for a full 30 seconds. Sometimes good things take time.
  4. Insert the large ice cube into an old fashioned glass.
  5. Strain your cocktail over ice and garnish with a slice of fresh plum.

(images by HonestlyYUM)

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