The longer I explore and experiment with mocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails to satisfy my inner mixologist, I find myself looking for new ways to punch up the complexity. I discovered shrubs were one way to scratch the alchemical itch.

What the heck is a shrub?

Shrubs are concentrated syrups used in beverages that mix fruit, sugar, and an acid (most commonly, vinegar). The idea of drinking a beverage made of vinegar may make you shudder at first – but I promise it’s not like that.  Though shrubs were enjoyed by the Romans and Babylonians, they have found a new resurgence of popularity in the culinary and bartending worlds.

In addition to being a tasty and interesting add-in for your mocktail recipes, shrubs may have some health benefits; however, these are mostly anecdotal and not well-researched.

How do I use shrubs?

Shrubs are meant to be diluted. Seltzer water is absolutely lovely for this purpose. You can also use it as a base or mixer for cocktails and mocktails. Ginger Shrub is a key ingredient in my Mangrove Mist non-alcoholic cocktail. While you can absolutely purchase premade shrubs, I encourage you to try creating your own.

Typically, you will want to mix and match your shrub to at least one other ingredient using a 1:5 ratio. Say, 1 part shrub to 5 parts water. You can mix your shrubs all sorts of other beverages, including:

• Still or sparkling water
• Hot or cold tea
• Club soda or tonic
• Fresh juice (such as grapefruit, cranberry, or apple are great places to start)

If you plan to add it to an n.a. cocktail recipe, I recommend starting with a small amount and gradually adding more to your liking.

How do I  make my own shrubs?

There are generally two methods of making shrubs: the hot method and the cold method. While I have largely made my shrubs using the hot method (simmering the fruit in simple syrup), it’s worth experimenting with recipes to see what you like best. There are so many recipes that you can find online, but I recommend searching for ideas that allow you to 1) use what you have on hand, and 2) speak to flavors you know you enjoy.

Always wash and sort your fresh fruit before making shrubs. Any berries with mold, or that seem too squishy should be tossed.

Weighing the blackberries. Did I eat a few to get to a nice whole number? Maybe.

My Experience

Recently, I tried making my own Blackberry Shrub. I had three pints of blackberries that were bought on sale, but going to mold soon if I didn’t use them. Tossing out fresh berries feels wasteful on a whole other level.

My first step was to weigh out the blackberries using a scale. I tried my best to use an equal weight of sugar and blackberries so that my shrub syrup would be extra sweet. If you are making shrub for the first time, I strongly recommend following the recipe closely so you get a feel for the ratios.

I realized halfway through measuring the ingredients that I had only a half cup of apple cider vinegar on hand. I improvised with red wine vinegar for the other half cup (*insert kitchen witch cackle here*). Don’t be like me – make sure you’ve got enough of the ingredients before you begin.

Then I began dissolving my sugar with the vinegar over medium heat, stirring frequently, and bubbles formed on the surface. Once the mix was plenty hot, I poured it over my blackberries. Very carefully, I mashed about half of the blackberries to really extract the flavor. I also tossed in a large cinnamon stick, because it’s close to the holidays and just felt right.

Dissolve the sugar together with the vinegar in a small saucepot. Open a window if the smell of vinegar in your home for 24 hours is a deal-breaker (it isn’t for us).

Stir together your sugar and vinegar until the sugar completely dissolves. Do not rush this.

Pouring the hot vinegar and sugar mixture over the blackberries in an airtight container

Straining the shrub using a fine mesh sieve.

Once the vinegar and sugar mixture was hot and almost simmering, I removed it from the heat and carefully poured it over the blackberries into an airtight container. It was at this point I slightly regretted not using a larger container because I had to very slowly and mindfully mash about half of the blackberries to ensure more flavor could be tasted. But such is the learning curve!

Then it was waiting time. I gave my shrub 24 hours to hang out on the counter so all the flavors could get friendly. So long as your container is clean and airtight, the vinegar will keep bacteria at bay. Some recipes call for longer wait times, but 24 hours has, thus far, worked for me.

Straining the shrub is one of the final steps. I use my handy fine mesh sieve, but many opt for cheesecloth. I gently mashed the blackberries to get a little more liquid out of them, but mostly let it slowly filter on its own while I cooked, ate, and cleaned up from dinner. Once it was drained, I funneled the mixture into a swing-top glass bottle for storage in my fridge and labeled it.

I used the blackberry shrub in:

• Sober Sangria
• Recipe 2

Have you tried to make your own shrub? What flavors do you plan to try? Be sure to share your experiences and ideas in the comments.