Shrub Bases for Cocktails

Ingredients

• ●2 cups (300 g) fresh fruit, chopped (see variations below)
• ●1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ●1 cup (240 ml) raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother, like Bragg's)
• ●Optional additions: fresh ginger, herbs, whole spices

Method

1. **Macerate.** Combine the chopped fruit and sugar in a glass jar. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours, stirring once or twice. The sugar draws out the fruit juice through osmosis — you'll end up with a thick, colorful syrup at the bottom.
2. **Strain the fruit.** Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently on the fruit. Discard the spent fruit (or eat it — it's like candy).
3. **Add the vinegar.** Stir the apple cider vinegar into the fruit syrup. Mix until fully combined.
4. **Bottle and rest.** Transfer to a clean bottle or jar. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using — the flavor mellows and integrates.
5. *Three Essential Shrubs:**
6. *Raspberry Shrub**
7. 2 cups fresh raspberries, lightly crushed
8. 1 cup sugar
9. 1 cup ACV
10. Bright, tart, ruby red. Use in: vodka sodas, gin cocktails, sparkling wine.
11. *Peach-Ginger Shrub**
12. 2 cups ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
13. 1-inch piece ginger, sliced thin
14. 1 cup sugar
15. 1 cup ACV
16. Warm, fruity, with a ginger bite. Use in: bourbon drinks, whiskey sours, tonic water.
17. *Three More Shrubs:**
18. *Blueberry-Thyme Shrub**
19. 2 cups fresh blueberries, lightly crushed
20. 4 sprigs fresh thyme
21. 1 cup sugar
22. 1 cup ACV
23. Deep purple, earthy, complex. Use in: gin cocktails, vodka sodas, rum drinks.
24. *Cocktail Formula using shrubs:** 2 oz spirit + ¾ oz shrub + sparkling water = a complete drink.
25. *Storage:** Shrubs keep refrigerated for 6 months to a year. The vinegar acts as a preservative. They actually improve with age — the sharpness mellows and the fruit deepens.