Guys, we’re in the home stretch! I’m officially in my final month of pregnancy, and because baby is staying stubbornly head-up, I’ve got a C-section scheduled for the end of this month. Unless he decides to flip, I’m exactly three weeks away from parenthood! (And cocktails. But parenthood is the bigger deal.) The weirdest part is, I think we’re ready. We’ve got all the baby stuff, the house is basically in order, and other than making some meals to freeze and getting the dog a much-needed haircut, my to-do list is pretty short. The biggest thing is finishing up my postdoc research, which I should probably be working on right now instead of making mocktails. Oops.
When I first announced my pregnancy, a lot of my cocktail-making friends told me that shrubs would be my go-to drink for the next few months. If you’re not familiar with shrubs, check out my brief intro to them here. They’re basically tangy mixtures of fruit, sugar, and vinegar that can really add a flavor kick to any drink. And since they’re non-alcoholic, they’re great for mocktails. I expected to be making a lot of them, but between being sent some great pre-made shrubs from Element [Shrub] and Shaker & Spoon and having lots of other mocktail ideas, I didn’t really get around to experimenting much. But with my pregnancy almost done, I figured it was high time to get into the shrub game.
There are so many potential flavors for shrubs, I almost didn’t know where to begin. But I’ve been wanting to do something with beets for a while, and a shrub is a perfect way to work them into a drink. Why beets? Besides their unusual but really delicious flavor – despite being root vegetables, they’re quite sweet – they add an absolutely gorgeous color to drinks. (And cutting boards, and kitchen towels, and fingers….)
My go-to guide for shrub making is this article from Food52. It makes it really easy to design your own shrub recipe, which I think is the best way to go. There can be a lot of variation in flavor and sweetness between batches, and it’s important to tailor your recipe to your ingredients and your taste. Last time I made shrubs, I did a “cold process” recipe where the fruit and sugar are combined in a bowl and left out for a couple of days to produce a syrup. This time, I went with the “hot process” on the stove because it was quicker. Basically, I simmered my sliced beets with water and sugar, added some vinegar, and strained the mixture into a jar. Really easy. Check out the recipe below for the exact proportions.
For my finished mocktail, I combined the beet shrub with honey syrup, lemon juice, fresh tarragon, and tonic water. It was so, so tasty – tangy, vegetal, and sweet, with the perfect bitterness from the tonic water at the end of each sip. Definitely the kind of drink that (almost) keeps you from missing cocktails!
Booze it up: I’d add some gin to this one!
Just Beet It
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 oz. honey syrup*
1 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. beet shrub (recipe below)
3 oz. tonic water
Combine tarragon and honey syrup in the bottom of a shaker and muddle gently. Add lemon juice and beet shrub. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass or Collins glass filled with ice and top with tonic water and another sprig of tarragon.
*For honey syrup, combine equal parts honey and water in a saucepan, bring to a low simmer, and stir until honey is dissolved. Let cool before using.
Beet Shrub
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup beets, peeled and diced
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the beets and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the syrup is bright red and the beets are softened. Add half of the vinegar, stir, and taste – see how you like it and add the rest if desired. Bring briefly to a simmer and then strain. Let cool before using. Can be stored in the fridge for several weeks.