Ingredient Deep Dives
Shrubs & Drinking Vinegars
Shrubs — fruit-and-vinegar syrups — are one of cocktail history's most fascinating revivals. Learn their colonial American roots, how to make them at home, and how to use them in cocktails and mocktails.
The Vinegar Syrup With Colonial Roots
A Shrub is a sweetened vinegar syrup made by combining fruit, sugar, and vinegar — then used as a cocktail or mocktail ingredient. The result sounds counterintuitive (vinegar in a drink?) but is one of the most compelling flavor compounds in the bartender's toolkit: tart, complex, sweet, and deeply fruity in ways that plain citrus juice cannot achieve.
Shrubs are not new. They were a primary method of preserving seasonal fruit in colonial America before refrigeration — the vinegar's antimicrobial properties allowed a berry shrub made in July to remain usable through winter. The craft cocktail revival of the 2010s rediscovered shrubs as both a flavorful ingredient and a vehicle for exploring pre-refrigeration food preservation techniques.
How Shrubs Work Flavor-wise
Vinegar provides Acidity — but a fundamentally different type of acidity than citrus juice. Citric acid (from lemons and limes) is bright and fleeting. Acetic acid (from vinegar) is more persistent, with a longer finish and a rounder, more complex character. Combining vinegar's acidity with fresh fruit's volatile aromatics and sugar's sweetness creates a flavor compound that is greater than the sum of its parts.
A well-made raspberry shrub does not taste primarily of vinegar — it tastes of raspberry, with a tangy, complex finish that citrus cannot provide.
Two Methods: Cold Process and Hot Process
Cold process (preferred for delicate fruits): 1. Combine 200 g fresh fruit with 200 g sugar. Muddle lightly to combine. 2. Cover and refrigerate for 24–48 hours. The sugar osmotically draws juice from the fruit. 3. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing the fruit to extract all liquid. 4. Add 120 ml apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar to the strained sweetened juice. 5. Stir to combine. Bottle and refrigerate. 6. Shelf life: 2–3 months refrigerated (the vinegar acts as a preservative).
Cold process preserves more of the fresh fruit's volatile aromatics. Best for strawberry, raspberry, peach, watermelon.
Hot process (preferred for firmer fruits): 1. Combine 200 g fruit (chopped), 200 ml water, and 200 g sugar in a saucepan. 2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10–15 minutes, until fruit is soft. 3. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer — do not press (pressing makes the shrub cloudy). 4. Cool completely, then add 120 ml vinegar. 5. Bottle and refrigerate.
Hot process extracts more deeply from firmer fruits (apple, pear, quince) and allows aromatics like spices to be added during cooking.
Vinegar Selection
| Vinegar | Character | Best Fruit Pairings |
|---|---|---|
| Apple cider vinegar | Fruity, mild | Berry, stone fruit, apple |
| White wine vinegar | Clean, neutral | Delicate fruits, citrus |
| Champagne vinegar | Delicate, bright | Stone fruit, tropical |
| Balsamic (avoid) | Too sweet, too assertive | Not recommended |
| Red wine vinegar | Robust | Dark berry, robust fruits |
Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (Bragg, for example) adds slight cloudiness and earthiness — acceptable for rustic preparations. For clarity, use filtered apple cider or white wine vinegar.
Fruit Combinations and Recipes
Strawberry-Balsamic Shrub (cold process): 200 g strawberries + 200 g sugar, 48 hours. Add 100 ml white wine vinegar + 20 ml balsamic vinegar. The balsamic adds earthiness that amplifies the strawberry.
Raspberry-Rosemary Shrub (cold process): 200 g raspberries + 2 sprigs rosemary + 200 g sugar, 24 hours. Strain, add 120 ml white wine vinegar. Remove rosemary before bottling.
Apple-Ginger-Cinnamon Shrub (hot process): 200 g diced apple, 50 g fresh ginger (sliced), 2 cinnamon sticks, 200 g demerara sugar, 200 ml water. Simmer 15 minutes, strain, cool, add 120 ml apple cider vinegar. Excellent in whiskey cocktails.
Blackberry-Sage Shrub (cold process): 200 g blackberries + 10 sage leaves + 200 g sugar, 48 hours. Add 120 ml red wine vinegar. A sophisticated preparation for gin and dark rum cocktails.
Cocktail and Mocktail Applications
Standard cocktail dosing: 20–30 ml shrub per drink. Combine with spirit and optionally a small amount of sparkling water.
Shrub Sour: Gin or bourbon (60 ml) + shrub (25 ml) + soda water (60 ml). Serve over ice. The shrub provides both sweetness and acidity — no additional citrus needed.
Shrub Mocktail: 30 ml shrub + 120 ml sparkling water + squeeze of citrus. A genuinely complex non-alcoholic option with layers of flavor.
Shrub Collins: Gin (45 ml) + shrub (20 ml) + soda water (90 ml). The same template as a Collins cocktail — shrub replaces both lemon juice and sugar.
Shrubs require patience — cold process takes 48 hours — but the result is a pantry staple that brings preserved seasonal flavors to cocktails year-round and impresses every guest who encounters one for the first time.