Fruity Drinking Vinegar Recipe

I don’t like to keep liquor around because I will drink it, and I feel so much better when I don’t. But I love cocktails and other fancy summer drinks so much! So instead, I usually go for cold sparkles mixed with our version of an old-timey shrub—apple cider vinegar infused with fresh fruit and herbs. Officially, true shrubs are equal parts fruit, vinegar, and sugar, but we skip the sugar. I prefer the tang. And when I add a dose of CBD tincture to it, I get a relaxing, refreshing, drink that goes perfectly with lawn chairs and laughter.

Here’s how you do it.

Fill a canning jar 1/2 to 3/4 full of berries or chopped fruit of your choice. If you want, add 1-2 tablespoons of a complementary herb and/or spice. (See below for some ideas!) Muddle the fruit and herbs a bit, then fill the jar with apple cider vinegar. If you use the kind that still has the mother culture in it, your drinking vinegar will also be probiotic and gut-supportive!

Give your jar a good shake, then keep it at room temperature in a dark place for a few days to a couple weeks, shaking it whenever you remember to. When you’re ready to drink it, strain the solids with cheesecloth, squeeze as much goodness out of them as you can, and store your drinking vinegar in the fridge.

For delicious mocktails, start with one tablespoon of the fruity herby vinegar per pint of sparkle water. If you want something more potent, add more! You may also want to add simple syrup, honey, or maple syrup if you want to balance out the tang with some sweetness. And I’m sure a splash of your favorite spirit would be delicious in it, too.

***Hot Tip!*** Use a plastic lid when you’re working with vinegar; metal lids will corrode. If you don’t have a plastic lid for your jar, put a piece of parchment paper between the jar and the lid.

Delicious Drinking Vinegar Combinations

You can make a shrub out of anything you can imagine, really. Play with whatever is in season. Break the rules you thought you knew about flavor combinations. Add some neutral-tasting or delicious medicinal herbs for extra nourishment. Nettles, daisy, mint, clover, chamomile, lemonbalm, mullein, goldenrod, mugwort, hops, and your common culinary herbs are all excellent options! Or try some of these:

Peaches and ginger

Raspberries, black pepper, and cardamom

Oregon grape and rosemary

Elderberries and lemonbalm

Apples, cinnamon, and clove

Pears, figs, and thyme

Watermelon and mint

Tomatoes, oregano, and coriander

Blueberries and sage

Strawberries and basil

Blackberries and mugwort

Huckleberries and hops

Plum and vanilla

Cheers!