From the Galley to the Shore: The Shrub and Grog

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Last Updated on July 10, 2024

This week we pivot away from food and are going to focus on a period beverage. This sugary-sweet drink was popular amongst officers and legends have it that smugglers may have accidentally invented this drink while rum-running! So pull up a chair and cover your drink to avoids the king shilling, and lets take a dive into the Shrub!

This recipe, just like the previous article on Lobscouse, comes from Lobscouse and Spotted Dog by Anne Chotzinoff and Lisa Grossman Thomas

What is a Shrub?

A Shrub can mean two things historically. One version uses a vinegar-based syrup with spirits and/or carbonated water. The other version essentially is drinking a home-made fruit-based liqueur. The latter was popular in the 17th and 18th Century, and will be our focus today.

The Shrub is a descendent of the medicinal cordials of the 15th century and Punch. These drinks (the cordials) were basically spirits steeped in all manner of ingredients to create something that many claimed to have medicinal properties. Before you think we are making medicine, most, if not all of these cordials has very little practical use. The Shrub as we know it was accidentally invented by smugglers, who would sink barrels of spirits off-shore to be retrieved later. Fruits were added to help mask the taste of sea water that had gotten into the barrels. While this is the story, there are very few sources to back this up. A more likely story is that combining fruits, sugar, and spirits allowed the flavor to be stored for long periods of time, much like a modern day mixer.

The Recipe

This recipe comes from Lobscouse and Spotted Dog by Anne Chotzinoff and Lisa Grossman Thomas. This book is becoming a staple in this series, and is a companion cookbook to Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin books. The series follows Royal Navy Captain Jack Aubrey and his Irish Surgeon/British intelligence Agent/Best Friend Stephen Maturin as they navigate the Napoleonic Wars. A fantastic movie based off of several of these books was released in 2003 as Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The recipe is pictured below:

We cut this recipe into thirds and made a few with different fruits to try out different flavors. For historical accuracy, fresh fruit should be used. However, we found that frozen fruit works just as well, and after its thawed is easier to push through a strainer (probably due to the fruit’s cell walls being broken down during the freezing process). Additionally, more fruit may be used for a more intense flavor, and while this recipe is for a raspberry shrub, any fruit will do! The fruit may need to be either frozen or run through blender depending on the consistency.

Preparation

Annmarie and I chose to use raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and lemon zest to make some different flavors. For fruits like these, you’ll want to put them in a sieve and use a spoon or a sturdy muddler to crush them through the holes. If you want a smoother texture, this may need to be done 2-3 more times (Or you can cheat with an immersion blende. As the Pirate Commander for Summer of Plunder 2024, I endorse cheating while cooking). If using a lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit, simply zest it directly into the sugar/spirit mixture covered in the next step. Adding the juice from these fruits instead of the standard lemon juice (if using lemon zest, we recommend using lime juice) will also make the final product much more flavorful.

In a separate jar, combine the sugar, spirit, juice, and newly made shrub mix in a mason jar. Due to the alcohol content, there is no way the mixture will ferment, so sealing the jar is fine. If using a fruit with a peel, this is where you will add the zest. White sugar will work, but we recommend either raw sugar or brown sugar (but only if using brandy!). After the ingredients are combined, seal the jar and shake vigorously to incorporate the ingredients, and let them sit for a week or 2 to slowly infuse.

After everything has infused, you can drink as is (we recommend no more than 1 US Cup at a time). It can be enjoyed as is, but our favorite way to drink this is to top it off with some tonic water or a lemon-lime soda like Sprite.

The best thing about this drink is that it can be customized to the maker’s taste! While we recommend doing some minimal research for flavors that mix, the combinations are endless! Peaches and brandy are a no brainer, apricots and Irish whiskey are also a fun combination!

Bonus Recipe: Grog!

Since the Shrub was relatively simple, I figured I’d give you swabbies a bonus recipe!

Grog is more than often associated with sailors, and became standard in the British Navy in 1740. This is because when the English (not yet British) wrested control of Jamaica from the Spanish, they replaced their sailor’s beer ration with rum. However, sailors would let this ration build up for a few days and then drink it all at once to get plastered, something not recommended while doing the laborious tasks aboard a ship. A Grog Ration basically watered down the ration, and the addition of citrus juice helps prevent scurvy.

Making Grog is simple. Combine the ingredients form the recipe and mix! While rum was the standard liquor used, you can change the citrus in liquor to personal tastes.

How Does it Taste?

These recipes were surprising! of the 4 shrubs we made, the lemon and raspberry flavors stood out as the most intense and most enjoyable. While the blackberry and blueberry flavors were enjoyable, they weren’t as intense, so more fruit would be needed to really allow those flavors to come out.

I’ve made grog before, and I’m always surprised with how refreshing it is. I made some after mowing the lawn and put it over ice and it was delicious!

As always, thank you for reading! These period recipes are always fascinating, and combining our love of food and our love of history is always a treat! Next time, we’ll cover some Spanish Rations of Boiled Plantain and some Heritage Cornmeal!

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