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!
Equipment
- small saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients
- ¾ pound fresh figs, about 15 figs* plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, about 1 orange
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 1 orange
- ⅓ cup good aged balsamic vinegar**
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup good gin
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 1 large lime
- 3 cups club soda
- Ice for serving
Instructions
- 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, 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. Stir to mix together and top with a sliced fig for garnish.
Notes
*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!