Blueberry Drinking Vinegar

This bright and sweet drinking vinegar concentrate makes a quick DIY stand-in for store-bought drinking vinegars, like HongCho, for simple blueberry vinegar sodas or in cocktails like The Missionary, by Jeret Peña of the Brooklynite in San Antonio. See the Texas Issue (March/April 2013) for more on Texas’ dynamic cocktail culture.

2 oz. blueberry juice (If you use one of the common blueberry/apple juice mixes, adjust the sugar to taste)
2 oz. apple cider vinegar
2 oz. rice vinegar
1 ¼ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ cup granulated sugar
2 oz. water

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake well to combine. Double-strain into a glass jar with a lid. Chill before serving. Will keep well for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

For a simple blueberry soda: combine 1 part chilled blueberry drinking vinegar to 3 parts chilled club soda or sparkling water.