Fig and Orange Gin Shrub Cocktail

Take a sweet, luscious fruit base of figs and orange, mix it with the floral and fruity notes of a great gin and top with a sparkling, crisp club soda – what a refreshing way to enjoy the delightful fig!

We’re definitely in the heat of late summer. Strolling through the markets and looking for something refreshing, I find plump, sweet figs. Figs make a wonderful addition to salads, an unexpected side for pork and steak or baked into luscious tarts or cakes. With a handful or two tucked in my fridge, I went searching for something cold and fun – this drink seemed the ideal cocktail to accomplish both!

Shrubs have been around for centuries. They’re made with a fruit base that starts by cooking the fruit along with sugar and either vinegar, citrus or both. It’s sounds like an odd combination but with a pour of gin and a fizz of club soda, the result is quite wonderful!

The base for this shrub cocktail begins with fresh figs plus the juice and zest of an orange, sugar, and an aged balsamic vinegar. The fruit base is then blended with gin, lime juice, and club soda creating a fabulous cocktail.

The figs are cooked with the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and balsamic vinegar until they’re soft and the syrup is thick, then puréed until smooth.

To get a jump on entertaining, mix the shrub together, keep it chilled and add the club soda when you’re ready to serve. And if you’re looking for something non-alcoholic, substitute the gin with a sparkling orange drink.

There’s a small amount of prep in this cocktail but you’ll have enough for seconds or sharing!

Fig and Orange Gin Shrub Cocktail

¾ pound fresh figs, about 15 figs plus extra for garnish*

Zest of 1 orange, about 1 teaspoon

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 1 orange

⅓ cup aged balsamic vinegar**

1 cup sugar

1 cup good gin, such as Nolet’s Silver

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 1 large lime

3 cups club soda

Ice for serving

Combine the figs with the sugar, orange zest, orange juice and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, and the figs are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Using a blender, purée the fig base until very smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed. The fruit base will be thick.

Transfer the fruit base to a pitcher. Add the gin plus the fresh lime juice and stir to blend together.

To serve, pour ½ cup of the fruit and gin base into a glass filled with ice.

Top off with ½ cup club soda and stir to mix together and top with a sliced fig for garnish.

*In the event you can’t find fresh figs, use dried figs. Just cook them a bit longer until they’re quite tender. **Aged balsamic vinegar is a thicker, sweeter vinegar – perfect for this cocktail. Makes 6 cocktails.

We started collecting the Dorset collection from Williams Sonoma years ago, including the stemless wine glasses – not just for wine! The simple yet classic detailing crosses from casual to elegant seamlessly. https://go.shopmy.us/p-21568861

John Boos Boards, ideal for prepping and beautiful enough for serving. https://go.shopmy.us/p-19362519 Wusthof’s Classic Ikon Black 5″ Santoku knife is one I reach for over and over. It makes quick work of any task. https://go.shopmy.us/p-79796399 We keep a zester on hand for capturing the best of citrus as well as grating nutmeg. https://go.shopmy.us/p-21835898

Vitamix makes a wide variety of blenders, many like the Ascent X5 come with pre-programmed setting. From drinks to sauces to hot soups, it’s an incredible tool for your kitchen. https://go.shopmy.us/p-20801945

Preserving Good Stock may earn compensation on any sales made through our links.