Fresh and festive, this delightful cocktail is the perfect drink to celebrate with friends and family. Cranberries and strawberries are brightened with lime and highlighted by the botanicals of a great gin then topped with a splash of club soda to deliver that sparkle of the holidays!
This time of year is hectic and often stressful. The long hours spent getting ready for your guests, prepping and cooking can seem endless. But as the last plate is cleared from the Thanksgiving table it’s time to stir up a shrub, put your feet up and toast yourself and the holidays!
A shrub is an old, truly vintage cocktail dating back centuries. It was made with a puréed fruit base and the addition of citrus when available, which was rare. More often vinegar was used in place of the citrus and the drink was typically spiked with white wine or rum. This version is a fun twist. Cranberries and strawberries are a favorite combination of ours. And we love a good gin and tonic. So swapping the tonic for club soda then tossing everything together to create this shrub cocktail, seemed like it might just be delicious. And it is!
The cranberries and strawberries are cooked with some sugar, then puréed creating a delectable fruit base.
A great gin provides the right spirit to swirl through the fruits…
Followed by a light bubble and fizz from the club soda.
The beauty of this drink – in addition to its taste – you can mix up a batch of the fruit and gin base and pop it in the fridge. Then when you’re ready to serve it’s ready for you. Cheers to you!
Cranberry and Strawberry Gin Shrub Cocktail
1 cup cranberries, plus extra for garnish
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 1 large lime
1 cup good gin, preferably Plymouth
3 cups club soda
Ice
Combine the cranberries and the sliced strawberries in a saucepan. Add the sugar and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or food processor purée the fruit until it’s fairly smooth.
Pour the fruit base into a pitcher. Add the fresh lime juice and the gin, 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. Stir and top with a few fresh cranberries.
Makes 6 cocktails.
Cranberry and Strawberry Gin Shrub Cocktail
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Immersion blender or blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup cranberries, plus extra for garnish
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 1 large lime
- 1 cup good gin, preferably Plymouth
- 3 cups club soda
- Ice
Instructions
- Combine the cranberries and the sliced strawberries in a saucepan. Add the sugar and cook over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender or food processor purée the fruit until it’s fairly smooth.
- Pour the fruit base into a pitcher. Add the fresh lime juice and the gin, 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. Stir and top with a few fresh cranberries.
