We’ve taken inspo from one of Melbourne’s buzziest cafes for this incredibly photogenic (and delicious) cocktail.
About the cocktail
No, we haven’t gone all Gardening Australia on you. But yes, this cocktail does involve a shrub, which, in the drinks world, is something very different. It’s a traditional vinegar-based flavouring (sometimes called a ‘drinking vinegar’) that brings mouthwatering acidity and plenty of fruitiness to anything it touches. With our recipe, our shrub lends a vibrant red colour and juicy cherry flavour to a cream-topped, vodka-spiked cocktail. And it’s every bit as good as it sounds. Our cocktail team has taken its cues from one of Melbourne’s buzziest cafes – Standing Room in Fitzroy North. Their non-alc version takes a tart cherry shrub as its base and comes with an optional cream float. With apologies to Standing Room, we reckon the cream is non-negotiable, while the vodka brings a little extra backbone, so that’s what you get with our Cherry Cream Shrub cocktail. The result is a bright and fruity cherry shrub lengthened with bubbly soda water, fortified with vodka, and topped with a sweet and creamy float. Like the Standing Room original, our Cherry Cream Shrub is all about fresh flavours that are best sipped with friends. We’d be whipping up batches for all sorts of catch-ups, ideally spent on the porch or in the backyard – ideally alongside some freshly made, cafe-style sandos. You can even make more shrub than you need to have it on-hand because you can keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge for several months.
Ingredients: Cherry shrub
100mL cherry juice 100mL red wine vinegar 100gm white sugar
Ingredients: Cream float
1 tsp caster sugar ½ cup thickened cream
Ingredients: Cocktail
45mL vodka 45mL cherry shrub 75mL soda water 20mL cream float Glass: highball Garnish: cherry and lemon zest
Method
To make the shrub, mix the ingredients together in a jar or jug until the sugar dissolves To prepare the cream float, add the cream and sugar to a small jar and shake well until fluffy For the cocktail, add vodka and the shrub to your glass Fill with ice and top with soda, leaving a finger’s gap at the top of the glass Gently stir to combine, then layer the cream on top Garnish with the cherry and zest the lemon over the top
Dan’s top tips
Shrubs are simple, old-school flavourings that are super bright and acidic, thanks to the vinegar. Here, we’re calling for red wine vinegar, but don’t feel locked in. If you find that red wine vinegar is a little rich and full for your tastes, feel free to sub it out for sherry or white wine vinegar. And if it’s a little too mouth-puckering, you can always dilute the mix with extra soda or boost the sweetness with some more cherry juice. Our shrub is flavoured with cherry juice, which brings a lovely sweet and tart combo, but you can really add any fruit juice you’d like and take it in a different direction. Cranberry, pomegranate, raspberry – these guys still bring the tartness, but obviously have their own flavours. Play around with it and see what you like best.
What is a cherry shrub and how do you make it?
Cherry shrub is a vinegar-based drink flavouring that blends cherry juice, red wine vinegar and sugar. All you have to do is mix equal parts of each ingredient and you’re good to go.
What else is in the Cherry Cream Shrub?
Besides the cherry shrub, our Cherry Cream Shrub uses soda water for length and bubbles, and sweetened cream (a blend of cream and caster sugar) to top.
- Does the cream curdle with the drink?
The cream here is just a topper and floats on the surface of the bubbly cherry shrub mix, so it won’t curdle.
