Raspberry Shrub

 You are not gonna believe the amount of forethought and effort that goes into a simple flavored drink in 1891. We are so privileged to have such an incredibly wide variety of beverages available in this 21st century, ready-made.

I was excited, at first, to consider a drink with the first ingredient of raspberries. Yum, right? The second ingredient was not quite so exciting. I mean, who drinks apple cider vinegar? Mostly just health nuts, right? Fortunately, the third ingredient gave the inner child in me hope. Sugar, and lots of it. I won't go into the full recipe from 1891, you'll have to get the cookbook to truly enjoy it. But suffice to say that the recipe includes 12 hours of sitting in the sun, and a night banished to the cellar. Eventually, the concoction ends up over a "gentle fire." And how to store this delightful liquid? "Bottle while warm and seal the corks with sealing wax." 

I, of course, availed myself of a more modern recipe. Come to find out, "shrubs" or "vinegars" are making a comeback. However, even a modern recipe for a raspberry shrub holds onto age-old methods of measurement. Once I cooked down the raspberries in the vinegar, and mashed them thru a sieve, I had to measure the amount of liquid and then use an equal amount of sugar, which you then dissolve into the liquid. I was tickled pink to see such a quaint measurement for the sugar. Not a fixed amount of sugar, but an amount equal to the liquid! How fun is that?!

The syrup was skimmed and poured into canning jars and refrigerated (or, you can process in a water bath). Once cool, you can measure into a drinking glass however much syrup suits you, and add water or soda, such as 7-Up or Sprite. The syrup can also be used for cocktails, so I looked up what could be made with what we have on hand. Checking the cupboards, I found vodka and a bottle of 7-Up. I found a recipe online for "Raspberry Press Cocktail." Sounds about right...named for what the syrup requires...pressing the simmered berries through a sieve. I found a pretty glass in the cupboard, and voila, a pretty pink drink! Kind of reminds me of my grandmother's favorite drink, a Pink Lady. Cheers, Gramma!