Simple Christmas Cocktail Shrub with Oranges and Cloves
This Christmas cocktail shrub makes holiday drinks merry and bright with its traditional festive flavors. Oranges ferment with pomegranate, rosemary and cloves to create a zesty and subtly spiced old-fashioned beverage flavoring. It’s healthy and delicious with no added junk. Perfect for gifting, this shrub says Merry Christmas with a touch of homemade love.
Christmas is a season when my heart and mind warm up with traditions and the birth of the Christ child. The nostalgia brings comfort when the autumn winds turn bone chilling and snowy here in Wisconsin.
In other words, Christmastime gets me through the cold winter months and gives me something to look forward to until summer garden season. It’s also the perfect time of year to blend my love of healthy homegrown herbs and canned goods with traditional flavors of the holiday season.
You can bet with the first sight of a shiny red pomegranate in mid-October I was immediately inspired to make this citrusy cocktail shrub for the holiday season. I quickly tossed a few in my cart and grabbed a bag of blood oranges as well.
Back home, the fall garden still in full bloom, swayed with big bushes of fragrant culinary herbs waiting for something deliciously creative. Rosemary seemed fitting for my oranges and pomegranate so I snipped off a few pieces, satisfied with my flavor combination.
If you’ve never had shrub before, you really need to try it! It’s healthy and probiotic-rich and so, so tasty with endless flavor possibilities. This past summer I made a mixed berry and ginger flavored shrub with my homemade apple cider vinegar. It definitely hit the spot on those hot summer days.
Here at Christmastime, this cocktail shrub impressively levels up your holiday hosting with it’s lively, bright flavor. It’s easy to make with little hands-on time. The savory taste of rosemary perfectly blends with the deep, bold spicy flavor of whole cloves while balancing the sweet juiciness of oranges and pomegranates.
All fermented with raw apple cider vinegar and raw honey, it’s a delightful pop of festive flavors safe for the whole family to enjoy. There’s no synthetic dyes or preservatives so it’s great for kiddie cocktails mixed with sparkling water. It’s probiotic and immune-boosting qualities are perfect for adult beverages too!
What can I say?! We love our adult libations here in Wisconsin, especially at holiday parties!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Full of Flavor – This Christmas cocktail shrub is honestly so delicious. It’s sweet and sour nature perfectly balances with all the bright and herbal flavors. No one ingredient overpowers the others, making every sip a delight.
Super Healthy – Every ingredient offers immune-boosting nourishment, especially needed during the holiday season with parties and family gatherings galore. Oranges and pomegranates are both high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, which ward off viruses and bacteria and help the body detox. Rosemary and cloves are also antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, all excellent for preventing illness.
I encourage you to read more about the benefits of cloves in the book Super Gut by Dr. William Davis.
Easy to Make – This is a perfect “dish-to-pass”, so to speak, for a holiday gathering or a homemade gift. When rosemary is still fresh in the garden and pomegranates make their entrance into supermarkets, make this shrub ahead of the holiday rush. It’s a fermented beverage, so it doesn’t spoil. With just a few minutes of slicing, chopping and stirring, it’s quick to make, saving you loads of time during the holiday season.
Helpful Hints for the Best Cocktail Shrub
- It’s important to use whole cloves instead of ground to achieve the best balance of flavor and texture. Ground cloves will overpower the flavor and create a grainy, gritty texture.
- The recipe calls for fresh rosemary, which enhances the dynamic of flavor. But dried also works well in a pinch.
- Use raw apple cider vinegar instead of regular distilled white vinegar. It pairs better with fruit when making shrub.
- I only use one cup of honey to keep it low-sugar and save money, but feel free to use two cups if you prefer it sweeter.
- There are many ways to use shrub. It’s considered a beverage concentrate, but you could drink it straight as is. Or it’s good for flavoring plain or sparkling water. It’s also great in numerous alcoholic beverages. Be creative!
How to Make Christmas Cocktail Shrub
What You’ll Need
Oranges – Any variety is good to use. If you don’t have oranges, try grapefruit.
Rosemary – Fresh is best, but dried works as well.
Pomegranate
Cloves – Use whole instead of ground.
Raw apple cider vinegar and raw honey – Both need to be raw to properly ferment the fruit and provide the probiotic benefits.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by throughly scrubbing the oranges to remove residue with a natural soap like Branch Basics or Dr. Bronner’s.
Next, cut away the orange peels and place the flesh in a half-gallon Mason jar. Set the peels aside to make a homemade all-purpose cleaner or toss to the compost pile or garbage.
Then, cut a pomegranate in half and peel away the juicy seeds from the inside skin. Place pomegranate seeds inside the jar.
Add the rosemary and cloves to the oranges and pomegranates and muddle them together to release the juices and essential oils.
Add the honey and apple cider vinegar and stir together until the honey dissolves.
Set aside on the kitchen counter or in a cupboard for minimum of one week, up to 2-3 weeks. Shake the jar once a day to blend the flavors together.
When the shrub finishes fermenting together, place a funnel and a strainer on top of a quart jar and separate the solids from the juice. The juice is considered the shrub.
Use the shrub as a flavoring in water or juice or with your favorite alcoholic spirit of choice. Enjoy!
FAQ’s about Cocktail Shrub
What is shrub?
Shrub is an old-fashioned fermented beverage concentrate made with fruit, apple cider vinegar and a sugar source, preferably raw honey and real maple syrup.
How is shrub used?
Shrub is used to flavor beverages. It’s perfect for plain or sparkling water or mixing with fruit juices such as orange or apple. It’s also mixed with alcoholic beverages like vodka or whiskey.
What is the shelf-life of shrub?
Shrub doesn’t spoil since it’s a fermented beverage. Store in a cupboard or in the fridge. If you see mold, discard right away.
More Christmas Recipes from Becky
The Best Christmas Sourdough Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
The Best Citrus Sourdough Sugar Cookies for Christmas
Easy Chocolate Sourdough Cookies with Espresso and Cherries
Spiced Cranberry Christmas Jam | Irresistibly Easy and Delicious
If you make this recipe and love it, come on back and leave it a 5-star review! Any other questions or comments, leave them in the space below! Tag me with your photos on Instagram @beckybuttlesamericana.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and Merry Christmas! –Becky
Simple Christmas Cocktail Shrub with Oranges, Rosemary & Cloves
This Christmas cocktail shrub makes holiday drinks merry and bright with its traditional festive flavors. Oranges ferment with pomegranate, rosemary and cloves to create a zesty and subtly spiced old-fashioned beverage flavoring. It's healthy and delicious with no added junk. Perfect for gifting, this shrub says Merry Christmas with a touch of homemade love.
Ingredients
- 4-5 oranges
- 1 pomegranate
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1-2 cups raw honey
- 2 cups raw apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Begin by throughly scrubbing the oranges to remove residue with a natural soap like Branch Basics or Dr. Bronner's.
- Next, cut away the orange peels and place the flesh in a half-gallon Mason jar. Set the peels aside to make a homemade all-purpose cleaner or toss to the compost pile or garbage.
- Then, cut a pomegranate in half and peel away the juicy seeds from the inside skin. Add pomegranate seeds to the jar.
- Add the rosemary and cloves to the oranges and pomegranates and muddle them together to release the juices and essential oils.
- Add the honey and apple cider vinegar and stir together until the honey is dissolved.
- Set aside on the kitchen counter or in a cupboard for minimum of one week, up to 2-3 weeks. Shake the jar once a day to blend the flavors together.
- When the shrub is finished fermenting together, place a funnel and a strainer on top of a quart jar and separate the solids from the juice. The juice is considered the shrub.
- Use the shrub as a flavoring in water or juice or with your favorite alcoholic spirit of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- It's important to use whole cloves instead of ground to achieve the best balance of flavor and texture. Ground cloves will overpower the flavor and create a grainy, gritty texture.
- The recipe calls for fresh rosemary, which enhances the dynamic of flavor. But dried also works well in a pinch.
- Use raw apple cider vinegar instead of regular distilled white vinegar. It pairs better with fruit when making shrub.
- I only use one cup of honey to keep it low-sugar and save money, but feel free to use two cups if you prefer it sweeter.
- There are many ways to use shrub. It's considered a beverage concentrate, but you could drink it straight as is. Or it's good for flavoring plain or sparkling water. It's also great in numerous alcoholic beverages. Be creative!
I’m a wife and homemaker inspiring old-fashioned skills always with a warm beverage in hand. Homemade Recipes. Gardening. Preserving. Healthy Living.
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