Cherry-Lime-Black Pepper Shrub

Recipe by: Leslie Brenner

Refreshing, tangy and bursting with flavor, this Cherry-Lime-Black Pepper Shrub captures the essence of summer in a bottle.

The key to the recipe, inspired by the cherry-lime rickey, is muddling strips of lime zest in sugar; the sugar captures all that pure lime flavor. Lime juice is added along with vinegar (a shrub’s defining ingredient) at the end. Black peppercorns add depth.

This shrub is terrific with a big splash of fizzy water or tonic water. Or use it to make a Cherry-Lime-Black Pepper Gin & Tonic.

Don’t discard the cherries after pressing out the liquid: Use them as a topping for vanilla ice cream. (Remove the pits first!) You can also use a few squished cherries to garnish your drinks.

Makes about 8 ounces (250 ml).

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 grams) cherries, rinsed and stems removed

• 2 organic limes, rinsed and dried

• 1/2 cup (85 grams) granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cru…