SFist Drinks: Blackberry Shrub

We thought we'd keep with this shrub thing after last week's Strawberry Gin Shrub recipe, since it's new to us (and probably you) and is actually quite delicious. At this week's CUESA farmers' market cocktail event, there were a number of highlights including an apple-chartreuse-Bols Genever concoction from Alicia Walton of Elixir, a raspberry and Galliano drink from 15 Romolo, and a peach cocktail from H. Joseph Ehrmann.

The Blackberry Shrub being served on the rocks and concocted by Allison Evanow, founder of Square One Organic Spirits, was a favorite that night, and a riff on a standard shrub. The primary booze in the drink is Square One's new "Botanical," which isn't a vodka, isn't a gin, and belongs in this new-ish category of liquors called botanicals, of which gin could be considered a member. It's made using rye and a number of botanical infusions, including pear, rose, lemon verbena, coriander and citrus peel -- but no juniper, so it doesn't taste like gin. (For those gin lovers among you, the drink below could easily be made with gin also.)

Blackberry Shrub

1 1/2 oz. Square One Botanical (or gin)
1/2 oz. Rhum Clement Creole Shrubb (or Cointreau)
1/2 oz. blackberry shrub syrup (recipe below)
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
ginger beer
2 sprigs of rosemary
blackberries for garnish

In a mixing glass, add leaves of one-inch sprig of rosemary and all
ingredients except ginger beer. Shake with ice and strain into a Collins
glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a rosemary sprig
with two blackberries speared onto stem. Optional: use frozen
blackberries left from making shrub to mix between the ice in the glass.

Shrub Syrup: In a saucepan, boil 2 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar and 1
1/2 cups of blackberries until reduced to 2 cups. Strain out the berries.
(Reserve whole berries and freeze them for garnish.) Put berry syrup
back into pan. Add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and simmer on medium
low for 20 minutes. Cool and store in a squeeze bottle.

PREVIOUSLY: Strawberry Gin Shrub from NOPA
The Naughty Sun Dress from Bourbon & Branch
Gitane's Castillan Cup
Tales of the Cocktail
The Sexy Saint at The Four Seasons
A Roundup of Cocktail Blogs
The Rio Grande Cocktail at 15 Romolo
Old Sydney Town Punch at Elixir
The Vicious Circle from Range
Thirsty Bear's Strawberry Rhubarb Manhazarac
Rock & Rye from Rye
The Black Lavender from Alicia Walton at Elixir
Boulevard's Biscaccianti
DOSA's Batsman
Cantina's Laughing Buddha