Martha washington’s cider shrub recipe

This is a strictly alcoholic shrub, made with no vinegar whatsoever, in a passé Colonial mode. The marriage of apple and citrus is a more harmonious affair than you might imagine, with the help of a good bottle of cognac. This shrub was adapted from a family recipe that originally called for French white wine. Of course, hard cider was freely substituted for such extravagances in Colonial times, and we do so now again with no compunction. If you like, use apple brandy or Calvados in place of the cognac for a lighter, brighter drink, but you might miss the deep almond notes that the cognac unleashes.