I was very skeptical when...
I heard you can brew coffee with vinegar. It just sounds like a terrible idea across the board. I mean, I love some balsamic vinegar on my salad, or for dipping garlic bread, but for coffee? I don't think so. Yet, I figured it would be worth a try as it makes what's known as a shrub. A shrub is a concentrated syrup that often combines vinegar with sugar, fruit, or other aromatics. It has recently found its way onto a lot specialty coffee menus too, so I figured it was time to give it a try.
Even though the ingredients are simple, it takes a bit longer than you'd expect to brew coffee with vinegar. Think of it more like brewing a cold brew concentrate, than brewing a cup of coffee. I'll go over the whole process step-by-step in the video, but if you want the written directions I've included them below.
Coffee Shrub Recipe
- 1.5 Cups of balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 Cups of coarsely ground coffee
- .5 Cups of water
- 6 tbsp of agave syrup
- 6 tbsp of maple syrup
Take all of the ingredients and put them in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine, make sure to not leave any dry grounds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature to brew for 24 hours. Then filter out the grounds using a fine sieve, cheese cloth, or both if you want to make sure no grinds make their way into the syrup. Mix two ounces of the syrup in sparkling water and enjoy. The coffee shrub will last in the refrigerator for about four weeks.
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