Shrubs Are For Drinking

Fall is the perfect time to make additions to your home bar. Shrubs are a simple and sneaky way to incorporate more diverse and delicious flavors into everything you drink, be it alcoholic or non. Shrub is a somewhat unusual name choice for what it actually is, which is a drinking vinegar infused with fruit and herbs. The flavor is sweet yet tart and tingly. 

Like many of our modern day beverage delights, shrubs originally served as a fruit preservation method before we were gifted with refrigeration. Vinegar and sugar are mixed with fruit and macerated until the flavors infuse. Shrubs can be added to sparkling water for an easy flavor boost, or used as an accent in your favorite cocktail recipe. The world is your oyster when it comes to flavor combinations for shrubs: pear ginger, apple cardamom, cranberry sage or even pumpkin for the truly adventurous. Spring and summer will bring a wave of other possibilities: sour cherry basil, watermelon mint, or just simple strawberry for purists. 

Making a shrub can be an exercise in patience and require a touch of bravery, but keep it simple. Shrubs can be made in many different ways. A basic Google search will surely lead you down a rabbit hole of methods. Here is very simple ratio to get you started: 3 parts fruit, 1 part vinegar, 1 part sweetener and a dash of herbs. Combine the fruit and sugar, muddle, let sit until syrupy­­ — or allow to sit covered in the fridge for as long as your patience allows, mixing occasionally. Add the vinegar and herbs, and marinate an additional day. Strain the fruit chunks out and bottle. It will keep refrigerated for 2-4 months. This is an especially ideal way to use up fruit that is past its prime, where vanity is concerned. 

If you’re lacking in time or energy, there are some great local options for purchase. The Hudson Standard in Hudson, New York has an inspired collection of flavor options like strawberry rhubarb, peach lavender and raspberry verbena, available for purchase online for around $15. Corina’s in Norwich, Vermont makes a delicious switchel, a spicy variation of a shrub using lime, ginger and apple cider vinegar. Bottled with carbonated water, this is delicious on its own or mixed with bourbon over ice. Corina’s is currently seeking local availability here in Connecticut. 

Simple Pear Shrub

Ingredients

2 cups pears, chopped

½ cup sugar (or sweetener of your choice)

½ cup apple cider vinegar

*add minced ginger or a vanilla bean pod if desired

Directions

In a large mason jar, add pears and sugar. Place lid on the jar and shake. Keep in the refrigerator for 24 hours, shaking several times. After 24 hours, give it a good shake and add the vinegar. Place back in the refrigerator for another 24 hours, shaking again every 4 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.