When a bartender researches inexpensive ideas for keeping a cocktail program relevant, I recommend they start by revisiting the past. Why? To rediscover ancient flavors, Shrubs have suddenly become popular again, and yet many of the techniques for creating these brightly flavored potions were almost lost to history. And history is important when creating cocktails. Nostalgic aromas bring life-long memories into what we eat, so why should the art of cocktail creation be approached any differently?
Acidulated beverages, also known as “shrubs,” are back. These fermented blends of fruit, vegetables, sugar and your choice of vinegar are not only tasty, but they are good for digestion as well. Shrubs were also the original energy drinks in the centuries before carbonated drinks made with high-fructose corn-syrup stole the stage.
Shrubs initially became popular in the Middle East in the centuries prior to refrigeration, where the careful application of vinegar and sugar kept otherwise perishable fruits from rotting. Adding some kind of sweetener to concentrates of ripe fruit, the pickling qualities of high acidity vinegar meant such compounds could be preserved for long periods of time. When added to crushed ice (when available) or just cool water, freshly crushed, sweetened, preserved fruit, served over ice was very refreshing in hot weather. Add some alcohol and you have creativity in a glass.
Shrubs or Shrubberies?
Shrubs are not shrubberies, as such plants are generally not used as cocktail ingredients. The original name was sherbs, and this fruit-based syrup forms the etymology of the word sherbet.
Shrubs are making their way into modern cocktail bars because of their nuanced flavors. They lend spark and acidity to liquors in a way that is still mostly undiscovered in the modern cocktailian era.
Experiment with different kinds of liquors with your shrub. Rum can work beautifully with a citrus fruits and spice shrub. Or try mixing a vegetable shrub (e.g. cucumber with a bit of tarragon) into a frappe with absinthe, gin and Champagne in a twist on the French 75. I love combining a lime shrub, made with agave, woven into the sultry, Pechuga style of mezcal. The sweet of the syrup running directly into the smoky, earthy qualities of the mezcal is gorgeous as an after-dinner digestif.
I asked some of the rising stars in the world of shrubs a few basic questions starting with the most obvious, “Why shrubs?” Their answers were surprising, thirst provoking and enlightening.
Why shrubs?
Cathy Tarasovic/Cynthia Guido, Shrub Drinks: Curiosity brought us to shrubs. Flavors inspired us. Shrubs are limitless in the possibilities for culinary applications.
http://shrubdrinks.com/index.html
Henry Preiss, HPSepicurian: Shrubs are cool again, just like what is old is new again. Shrubs enhance cocktails and add dimension, depth and layers of flavor.
Deborah Marksey/Juan Garcia, Shrub & Co.: Shrubs are a great way to capture and deliver flavor. There’s alchemy there; you can transform your drinks while still respecting the base spirit. We’re trying to deliver that kind of experience.
Chris Harrison, Adam & Robert Higginbotham, Liber & Co.: We chose to make shrubs in order to capture more dynamic flavor profiles than what you’ll find in regular bar syrups. Shrubs were an opportunity to bring a different acid element to cocktails in the form of vinegar.
http://www.liberandcompany.com/
What is your connection to acidulated beverages?
Cathy Tarasovic/Cynthia Guido, Shrub Drinks: Pickles were our first influences from growing up in ethnic backgrounds. Food and beverage centric upbringing brought us curiosity to new ways of re-creating old techniques, like shrubs!
Deborah Marksey/Juan Garcia, Shrub & Co.: We’re big fans of all manner of things that surprise and brighten your senses in food and drink. Shrubs and drinking vinegars do this with a play of sweet, tart, savory notes crossing your tongue in magical ways.
Henry Preiss, HPSepicurian: It comes naturally that we wish to not only be recognized for our current and upcoming offerings in spirits but also those products that can easily be used to add acidity and balance to a cocktail. In the vein of wanting to be a supplier of products to make shrubs at home, we have products that also enhance the acidity in cocktails. That’s why we launched Elixir Vitae.
Chris Harrison, Adam & Robert Higginbotham, Liber & Co.: We had no prior experience with acidulated beverages. The first shrub we tasted was one that we made ourselves. Once we dug into the history of shrubs, we began making them for our own consumption. We started with rhubarb, grapefruit and other fruits well before Liber & Co. was formed.
Who taught you how to make shrubs?
Cathy Tarasovic/Cynthia Guido, Shrub Drinks: We fell into it after tasting a gorgeous cherry shrub while visiting Historic Williamsburg in Virginia. This shrub was based on a Colonial-era recipe. It inspired us to do more research on the Internet and eventually through much experimentation we revitalized a lost art.
Deborah Marksey/Juan Garcia, Shrub & Co.: Juan read Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide and was intrigued by this strange ingredient, shrub, which appeared in recipes throughout the book. Curiosity led to research and we began to experiment with different types of shrubs at home. We quickly realized that bartenders enjoyed making them behind the bar, but often were challenged by things like accessing organic fruit over the life of their cocktail menu, or just getting kitchen time.
Chris Harrison, Adam & Robert Higginbotham, Liber & Co.: It took quite a bit of trial and error but learning to make shrubs was something we learned on our own. Basic recipes can be found online, but the variation in possible starting ingredients suggested to us that what it really comes down to is experimentation. Some vinegar are more pungent and acidic, some fruits are sweeter and therefore call for less added sugar — making shrubs is all about striking the right balance.
What liquor goes best with which shrub? What is your favorite go-to Shrub when you are thirsty?
Cathy Tarasovic/Cynthia Guido, Shrub Drinks: We do about 10 different shrubs — almost all of them are nice in a cool glass of Champagne. That would be except for the tomatillo, lime and serrano chili shrub. That one is reserved for a well-aged Tequila. We love to combine our peach shrub with bourbon whiskey. This is a marriage made in heaven… It’s called the “Texas two-step.”
There has got to be a little of our love in all the cocktails that we create. Every single piece of fruit in our shrubs is artisanal and handmade using our four hands!
Deborah Marksey/Juan Garcia, Shrub & Co.: Shrubs are wonderfully versatile, so they all pair well with a wide range of spirits. But there are some that stand out — grapefruit shrub loves the agave spirits, or gin plus bitter elements to bring out a hint of the pith… Peach and whiskey for instance. One of my favorites is peach with High West Campfire. We enjoy our strawberry shrub with everything from high-proof bourbon to Dolin Blanc with a little fresh tarragon. Ginger is our favorite go-to shrub for thirst and as a general health tonic. The flavor is amazing and the powerful combination of ginger and vinegar makes us feel great—straight or mixed with sparkling water, it’s our in-house remedy for everything.
Henry Preiss, HPSepicurian: The variety of spirits that will go with shrubs is long, from, of course, simple vodka, then moving up the range of quality pisco, tequila, mezcal, various whiskeys etc. As for a favorite, I love fruit juices but also tea, so shrubs that incorporate the two rank high on my enjoyment list.
Chris Harrison, Adam & Robert Higginbotham, Liber & Co.: The do-all liquor for shrubs is likely rum. The vinegar element in shrubs pairs exceedingly well with the funky etheric oils that come with rums. The molasses/sugarcane note provides an underlying sweetness that can tame the vinegar whose pungency can sometimes overrun a cocktail. Our go-to is our rhubarb & ginger shrub paired with dry vermouth, orange bitters and topped with club soda. This makes for an incredibly refreshing and low-alcohol spritz.
Just about anything goes well with a shrub, from Scotch to bourbon, to gin — all forms and varieties of rum and even vodka. Easy to prepare shrubs have their essential place in your toolkit of flavors.
They even contribute to a wonderfully tangy mocktail. So get on it!
You’ll find that in time these passionately crafted ingredients don’t add much to your beverage cost, and they just take about a month to prepare properly. This is time very well spent. Just be patient; the results are unlike any flavors you’ve worked with before.
