DIY Drinking Shrubs : From Healthy Elixir to Seasonal Mixer
If you’ve been perusing cocktail menus around the Bay Area as of late, you may have noticed the appearance of something called a “shrub.” If you’ve never heard of this delicious trend, fear not: We have all you need to know to make your own. For those of you familiar with them, you know their uses vary from a light, zesty, zero-proof aperitif—a perfect little something for the non-drinker—to adding a lovely brightness to a cocktail.
The word shrub comes from the Arabic or Persian word sharab, which means, simply, “to drink.” Shrubs are basically drinking vinegars, and their flavor comes from the infusion of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and sugar. This elixir pops up a few times throughout history, but for the most part was widely used as an easy way to preserve fruits and vegetables before the introduction of the refrigerator into the modern home.
Nowadays, shrubs are not just in vogue at your local cocktail bar. Many sources claim there are health benefits to drinking vinegar before a meal, including lowering blood sugar, balancing your pH (which helps with weight loss) and even fighting bad bacteria to promote good gut health. With an average of 12 grams of sugar per serving in a basic shrub (compared with upwards of 30–40 grams in cola) it makes an excellent substitute for soft drinks, juices from concentrate and other processed drinks. To make your own, the formula is an easy one; so easy, in fact, you barely need a recipe.
There are two versions to choose from: a shrub syrup (which is more concentrated and sweeter) or a fresh shrub (thinner and more acidic). To make a syrup, roughly chop fruit, veggies and any spices you’d like to use, toss into a medium-sized pot and cover with equal parts vinegar and sugar. Throw in your favorite fresh herbs, to taste. Bring all of the ingredients to a low simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, and then let cool and steep overnight. To finish, strain out the mixture and keep in a tightly lidded jar in the fridge.
For a fresh shrub, the measurements are almost the same, just reduce the sugar by a third. The ingredients are placed in a jar in the fridge to steep for several days. The longer you let a fresh shrub steep, the less bite you will get in the resulting flavor. Again, strain the mixture into a fresh jar and keep in the fridge. To enjoy your shrub, you can add about an ounce to a glass of soda water or use it to replace lemon juice or any acid in a cocktail. The combinations you can come up with are endless, so get creative! Our favorites are cucumber mint or ginger turmeric. Citrus and berry infusions always work incredibly well.
You don’t need to limit yourself to plain old white vinegar either. Try white balsamic, champagne or apple cider vinegar to change up the flavor. It’s a great way to keep some seasonal fruits and veggies around a little longer and add a splash of seasonal flavor to your fresh beverages. Since the vinegar acts as a preserving agent, both types of shrubs keep up to eight weeks refrigerated. However, we firmly believe that once you taste these fantastic alternatives to your happy hour or mocktail mix, you’ll have trouble keeping them around that long.
