“Shrub and Bubbles”

We had not been to the farmer’s market in a few weeks, so last weekend we made a morning of it. We walked down to the Ferry Plaza with coffee in hand and spent way longer than we should have wandering the market, checking out the newest in seasonal produce (the Italian Rugosa Squash stole the show), and chatting with our favorite vendors like K&J Orchards.

We happened upon these amazing shrubs. The blackberry and white nectarine shrub caught Clayton’s eye, and we decided it would be perfect with sparkling wine to make a super simple light cocktail.

Our friend Alicia at The Sea Star introduced us to her delicious cocktail last summer, which she cleverly named “Shrub and Bubbles.” It’s a standard on her menu, and with the holiday season rapidly approaching, we realized that it would be a great apertivo for holiday gatherings. We know for a fact that Alicia makes her own shrub, but this was the next best thing.

For large gatherings, we always recommend cocktails that don’t require the host to bartend all night. This is a perfect example. Just chill some sparkling wine, set out enough wine glasses or flutes (these are highly resistant to breakage, we’ve had some for years) for all your guests, and pour in two ingredients! You can even prep them a few minutes before guests arrive.

We used these stemless glasses, which are great for parties because they can go straight into the top rack of the dishwasher (for the red wine version, this set is a great deal). For shrub, this, this, and this look especially good. This Michigan cranberry shrub would be perfect to start off your Thanksgiving or Christmas party. Note: shrub keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator, so don’t worry if you have a lot left over. Try the Spring Teaser cocktail with your extra shrub.