A few years back, I made several gallons of Strawberry-infused Cider Vinegar. It was absolutely delicious in salad dressings and drizzled over sweet breads. One day, my son wanted to try something new to drink, something sweet but not as sweet as soda or juice, bubbly, cool, interesting. Thus was born the Sweet and Sour Strawberry Spritzer, aka the Strawberry Shrub. For my son, I added a scant teaspoon of honey, but for myself I generally omit the sweetener altogether. Strawberry-infused Cider Vinegar is fairly sweet, to my taste.
This recipe is non-alcoholic, but if you’d like to give your spritzers a little kick, try making them with a shot or two of whiskey or scotch or substitute a dry bubbly for the spritzer water.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Strawberry-infused Cider Vinegar
- 6 to 8 ounces sparkling water, spritzer water, or bubbly mineral water, chilled
- honey or sugar to taste (optional)
Procedure
- Pour the Strawberry-infused Cider Vinegar into a tall-sided glass.
- Dissolve any sweeteners you intend to use into the Strawberry-infused Cider Vinegar. (If you wait to add the sweetener later, you’ll lose some of your carbonation as you stir it in.)
- Add 6 to 8 ounces sparkling water, spritzer water, or bubbly mineral water and stir gently.
- Top your Sweet and Sour Strawberry Spritzer with an umbrella or a sprig of mint and imbibe.
Storage and Use
Sweet and Sour Strawberry Spritzers should be consumed immediately.
For more recipes and information on Strawberry including updated text; Standard and Advanced Medicinal Processing; Conditions best helped by Strawberry; Gardening and Gathering tips; Household uses; Animal Husbandry tips; Cautions; a Printable Quick Facts Page; and References, buy Strawberry: A Wealth of Healing in One Sweet Tasty Package on Amazon, volume 1 of our The Practical Herbalist’s Herbal Folio series.