Celery-Green Grape White-Pepper Shrub
Verdant Snap
Crisp celery and green grape macerate into a tart-sweet shrub, lifted with white pepper, lime and bubbles for a pale-jade rocks drink with a savoury edge.
20 minutes to mix45 minutes to chill2 finished drinks
01
What you’ll need
- 1 cup (150 g) seedless green grapes, halved, plus 2 extra grapes for garnish
- 1 crisp celery stalk (about 60 g), thinly sliced, tender leaves reserved
- 1 tbsp vegan-certified organic cane sugar
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked white pepper
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 3 tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar labelled vegan and alcohol-free
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup chilled plain soda water
- 2 large clear ice cubes
02
Mix the drink
- 1. Put the two garnish grapes in the freezer. They will become lightly frosted while the shrub chills.
- 2. Add the remaining grapes, sliced celery, sugar, white pepper and salt to a non-reactive bowl. Muddle firmly for about 30 seconds, until the grapes are broken and the celery releases its aroma. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- 3. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and cold water. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 4. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small jug. Press lightly to collect the liquid without forcing excess pulp through, then stir in the lime juice.
- 5. Taste the shrub base cold. If the grapes were especially tart, add up to 1 tsp more vegan-certified sugar and stir until dissolved.
03
Serve it beautifully
The glass, temperature and first aroma all shape the drink. Set those details before the final pour.
- 1. Chill two double old-fashioned glasses for at least 10 minutes so the drink stays crisp without excessive dilution.
- 2. Place one large clear ice cube in each glass. Divide the cold shrub base evenly between the glasses, then top each with 1/4 cup chilled soda water.
- 3. Lift the mixture gently twice with a bar spoon to combine while preserving the bubbles.
- 4. Garnish each glass with one reserved celery leaf and one frozen green grape on a cocktail pick. Serve immediately, ideally within 2 minutes of adding the soda.
At the table
What to pair with it
Sesame-lime cucumber noodles with fresh herbs
Smoked tofu and watercress tea sandwiches
Crispy artichoke hearts with vegan lemon aioli
Estimated per drink
Nutrition at a glance
- Calories
- 90
- Fat
- 0.2g
- Saturated fat
- 0g
- Carbohydrates
- 21g
- Fibre
- 0.5g
- Sugars
- 17g
- Protein
- 0.5g
- Sodium
- 35mg
Green grapes provide most of the drink’s natural sugars; nutrition values are estimates and vary with fruit size and how firmly the shrub is strained.
Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.