Black Currant Shrub

vegan · gluten free  · non GMO

Background: Shrouded in mystery with a long story past, black currants came to the Finger Lakes in the early 1800’s with Polish, English, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian settlers.  They knew of it’s barbarically bold flavor, typically used in making wine, jams and shrubs to preserve it’s greatness.  Our grower in Penn Yan NY is one of the largest Black Currant growers in the northeast US.  Hill top acid soils make this the ideal growing environment.  Did you know that black currants were illegal in New York and many other states from 1947 to 1991?  The lumber industry thought that it was a carrier or a rust that affected white pines. It was later determined to not be true. Try this shrub and be illegal!!!!

Health: Black currants are extremely high in mineral ascorbics, the type of Vitamin C that absorbs quickly and assists your immune system in a short time.  Local lore tells us that many mineral and vitamin C deficiencies were cured by black currants. In England, during WW2, black currant juices and shrubs were used to ward off scurvy and other immune deficient driven diseases.  It also contains high amounts of anthocyanins, a known antioxidant of the highest order.  

Uses:  Add to any spirit bold enough to stand up to it. Deep and rich, but not smokey or woody. The phenols will colour any liquid a deep purple, if heavily diluted a silky lavender hue persists. As a late night nip on the rocks, it is tasty, satisfying, and will help settle restlessness….fast.   

We extract the flavor and juices from fruit harvested here in the Finger Lakes region whenever possible. Only the highest quality, fully ripened fruits are used. This helps produce the vibrant color and flavor of our small-batch shrub and other products. There are no flavor enhancers, preservatives, or colorants  ever! Taste the Finger Lakes Harvest difference!