Rum Shrub Recipe

5 from 3 votes

How to make rum shrub, a Victorian rum liqueur recipe made with dark rum, citrus, ginger, and spices. It takes about a week to infuse and is perfect for autumn and winter parties and gatherings. Makes about two wine bottles (1.5 L) of sweet and golden liqueur.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, British

Keyword liqueur, rum

Prep Time 30

Infusing time 8

Total Time 30

Servings shots

Calories 68kcal

Author Tanya Anderson

Cost $20

Equipment

large glass jar sized 2 quart (2 liter) or larger
lemon zester
measuring cups
cheesecloth/muslin or jelly bag
saucepan

Ingredients

To Make the Infusion

1 pint dark rum 473 ml
2 large oranges zested and juiced
1 unwaxed lemon zested and juiced
1.5 inch piece of ginger sliced, 4 cm
1 cinnamon stick
1/8 tsp nutmeg grated
8 cloves (whole)

To Sweeten the Rum Liqueur

2 TBSP honey
2 cups white sugar 400 g
1 bottle white wine 750 ml

Instructions

Infuse the Rum with Spices and Citrus

Zest the oranges and lemon. Zesting involves removing just the outer layer of peel from the fruit while avoiding any white pith. You can use a lemon zester to help with this step.
Juice the oranges and the lemon. You should get about 1/8 cup of lemon juice and 3/4 cup of orange juice from the fruit. If there's more than this, that's fine.
Peel and slice the ginger into quarter-inch pieces.
Place all the ingredients from the section 'To Make the Infusion' in a large glass jar.
Store the jar in a dark place for a full week. Take it out once a day to give it a gentle shake.

Strain & Sweeten

After a week, strain the liquid through a muslin, cheesecloth, or jelly bag at least twice, if not three times. Remove as much of the solid particles in the liquid as possible.
Leave the liquid to settle for a few hours - preferably overnight.
Warm the entire bottle of white wine in a saucepan on low until the wine is warm and starting to steam. However, do not let it reach a simmer, or you'll lose alcohol to heat and evaporation.
When warm, take the wine off the heat. Stir in the honey and the sugar until completely dissolved, and allow the wine to cool to room temperature.
Gently pour the infused rum into the sugared wine, leaving as much sediment in the container as possible. Though not harmful, any residue of fruit and spices will be unsightly and can cloud your liqueur.
Pour the homemade rum shrub into clean, sterilized bottles. Next, store them in a dark place and allow them to mature for a week before serving*.
Due to the fresh juice used in this recipe, try to use the liqueur within four to six weeks. Refrigeration will help to prolong the shelf-life.

Notes

Spices note: It's important to use whole spices rather than powdered ones so that the liqueur ends up as clear as possible. It's more challenging to filter out powdered spices than whole ones, but if you only have powders and don't mind some haziness, then go ahead and use them.

White wine note: Use any that you would like. I recommend using an inexpensive chardonnay or pinot grigio.

* This week helps to clear the alcohol but also adds mellows out the flavor, but if you can't wait that long, go ahead and have a sneaky sample.

Nutrition