Spring garden mocktail: strawberry-bee balm shrub

Let’s cheers to 7 years of keeping bees, plus wander the garden with me.

Over the past week I celebrated the 7^th anniversary of acquiring my first hive. It’s amazing how something I never had an interest in and started as a curiosity turned into such a big part of my life. When starting out, getting a hive in June—in my region—isn’t common. Most people start with a hive in early spring so that they can build up with the nectar flow. Instead, my first season with bees was labor-intensive, pest-heavy, and at the hottest time of the year. Keeping my one hive alive and healthy was the only priority because, as my beekeeping mentor says, “You’re not a beekeeper if you don’t have bees to keep.” Today I have more hives than I’ve ever had: 10! I’m sharing a recipe for a refreshing garden-sourced drink to cheers to 7 years of beekeeping. I’m also including a little spring garden and hive tour if you’d like to take a peek at what’s happening around and inside the hives. And, I’m giving away a 1-lb jar of honey. (US shipping destinations only.) Please comment with your favorite way to enjoy honey. I’ll pick a random comment from over the next week and will ship this summer. (If you’re interested in buying honey, I plan to extract from my Chatham County apiary in mid-June. Tentatively planning a Western North Carolina harvest in late June or mid-July. Sign up for honey updates to learn when orders open.)

Many people often refer to chickens as “the gateway to homesteading” and gardening. While I did have chickens before bees, I give full credit to the bees for my initial interest in gardening. This drink is the perfect combination of the garden with a contribution from the bees: it pulls from the garden’s seasonal fruit and herby production, and showcases honey.

Shrub: the drink

If you haven’t heard of a shrub, it’s not a stout bush. As a beverage, a shrub is vinegar-based and can be used as part of a cocktail, or thinned with water or sparkling water as a mocktail. (I won’t dive into the many health benefits of apple cider vinegar because there are so many resources that cover this area.) What I enjoy about shrubs is that you can try out many combinations of flavors. I typically pick one fruit and one herb. My favorite combination to date has been blackberry-rosemary. Since rosemary is an evergreen and is omnipresent in the garden, I decided to highlight this season’s scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) in today’s recipe. I added a single bee balm to my garden several years ago and, being in the mint family, it’s gloriously spread to cover a 6’ by 2’ space. I often dig up the edges and share those runners with friends, or site them in other parts of the yard. Every June they add a ruby crown to the south side of the garden and hummingbirds pull down their blooms when flitting and feeding.

Mondarda didyma (scarlet bee balm) in bloom from an earlier season. Right now the blossoms are just about to open. You may tell from the picture that it’s prone to powdery mildew. This just means that I harvest and dry leaves for teas earlier in the season when the leaves are young.

The bee balm is very close to blooming, which means the plant’s flavors and nutritious properties are peaking. If you’ve learned anything about herbs, harvesting them after they bud and before they flower is when you get the strongest flavor. The plant is pulsing with its highest oil content to make the blooms. If you’re not familiar with bee balm, it can be used in lieu of oregano, and can be eaten raw or cooked. According to The Herbal Academy, “Due to the presence of a high thymol content which is a strong antiseptic (also in thyme), Monarda has been used in infusion form for a variety of ailments in its long past: colds, flu, upper respiratory problems, gas, diarrhea, nausea, fevers and whooping cough, and topically for skin problems and wounds.”

Ideally, harvest in mid-morning after dew has evaporated and the day hasn’t gotten too hot. Flavors change throughout the day based on temperature. Cooler mornings help to conserve sugar content (when present) and make for a sweeter harvest.

These alpine strawberries produce smaller fruits that have a cotton candy-like flavor.

I have a few heirloom alpine strawberry plants originally from Germany—Baron Solemacher—that I grew from seed for my first garden. Each year they produce a few more berries than the last and stretch out more runners. They’re full of ripening berries right now. Strawberries are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, B9 and other vitamins. Instead of having a few berries as a snack in a single serving, a drinking shrub extends the life of the fruit. A few berries can turn into more than a dozen drink servings.

Sweetened with raw honey

Honey loses hundreds of antibacterial properties when it’s heated over 98.6F. More beneficial enzymes disappear when honey is heated in excess of 104F. Whenever possible, my favorite way of eating honey is as close to room temperature as possible. Shrubs are a great way of enjoying raw honey’s flavor and nutritional support.

Infusing apple cider vinegar with bee balm and strawberries.

Strawberry-bee balm shrub mocktail recipe

Makes approximately 16 servings

1/8 cup strawberries (4-to-6 berries)
2 sprigs fresh bee balm
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup raw honey
8 oz still or sparkling water (per serving)

I prefer all of my drinks without ice, but you could dress this up with tea-based or flower-filled ice cubes.

1. Add the first three ingredients to a glass jar. Use a plastic lid or line a metal lid with wax or parchment paper.

2. Place in the fridge for 4-to-7 days, gently shaking the jar once or twice per day.

3. Strain the infused vinegar into a small pot. Heat on low. Compost the fruit and herbs.

4. Use a thermometer and pull pot from heat when the infused vinegar reaches 100F. Let it stand off the heat for a minute or two. (Resting it off the heat allows the blend to drop below 98.6F and preserve as much of the beneficial properties of honey as possible.)

   

   Watch the temperature if you’re using raw honey and want to preserve its health benefits.

5. Add the honey and mix until fully incorporated. To store the blend: Pour into a glass jar. Use a plastic lid or line a metal lid with wax or parchment paper. Store in the fridge.

6. When you’re ready to sip a shrub, pour 1-to-2 tbsp into a glass and add 8 oz still or sparkling water. Enjoy!

7. Store the shrub base in the fridge for several weeks or months.

Cheers!

For funzies: Add herb sprigs, make tea ice cubes with edible flowers, or spike it as a cocktail with your preferred liquor or wine.

If you’d like a chance at winning a 1-lb jar of honey, please comment with your favorite way of enjoying honey. I’ll randomly pick a winner over the next week. Also, if you’re itching for summer beverages, check out my earlier post about high summer teas, lemonades, and cocktails.