Spiced Cranberry Shrub is a tart cranberry syrup with the warming spices of a winter punch.  For those unfamiliar, a shrub is a lightly fermented fruit syrup main from roughly equal amounts of fruits and vegetables, vinegar, and sugar.  They may be mixed with soda for a complex and mostly non-alcoholic alternative to bottled pop, or can be used as a mixer in more adult beverages.   The basic formula is crazy simple and the variants are endless.

The recipe for Spiced Cranberry Shrub came to me out of necessity.  I have a habit of buying up an endless supply of fresh cranberries in the runup to Thanksgiving and then never getting around to making cranberry sauce.  They eventually end up in my freezer taking up space.   Spiced Cranberry Shrub uses them up quickly.  Shrubs require a little bit of patience but the end result is potent and breathtaking.  Cranberries are powerfully tart and cloves are intense, even in small quantities.  I’ve leaned into the tartness and recommend you do the same, but recognize that everyone’s taste buds are a little bit different.  If you want to add a little bit more sugar I won’t tell anyone.

Wherever possible I’d recommend using an apple cider vinegar that includes the “mother”.  This no longer requires spending an arm and a leg, as most grocery stores now offer a generic variety.  The mother will aid in fermentation and add some complexity and a little bit of effervescence.  These vinegars also tend to be of better quality.  The fermentation effect is subtle and not at all necessary, but certainly worth considering.

Spiced Cranberry Shrub can be mixed with soda water, one part shrub to four parts soda water, for a refreshing soda.  It also mixes well with orange juice, orange bitters, or – weirdly – tomato juice.  Enjoy!