The following is an online extra from our May 2020 issue.
Nasim Saifullah of Poor Boys uses cherry shrub in “I Left My Wallet in Modena.” (Photo courtesy Nasim Saifullah)
Once upon a time, before refrigeration, people used vinegar to preserve seasonal surplus like fruit. When the fruit was removed, its flavors lingered in the vinegar — which, lo and behold, turned out to be delicious. Add some sugar to balance a sturdy measure of brandy, and the cocktail shrub is born.
Essentially a vinegar-based syrup, shrubs add body and depth of flavor to drinks, but their versatility extends beyond the glass. Nasim Saifullah, bar manager at Poor Boys, is a longtime advocate of shrubs, especially after discovering that the term may be derived from the Arabic word “yashrab,” meaning “drink.” Saifullah likes to mix shrubs with EVOO to make a vinaigrette or reduce them for a gastrique.
Cocktail shrubs begin with fruit, the juicier the better. Sugar draws out the juice, while vinegar adds a savory acidic balance. Typically white wine or champagne vinegar is used, although Adan Velis, bar manager of The Jungle Room, prefers to play with cider, sherry, and balsamic varieties.
Then it’s simply a matter of what pairs well together. Think apples and cinnamon, strawberries and rhubarb, mango and habanero, fig and balsamic. Got extra fruit? Get shrubbin’. The shelf-stable nature of shrubs makes them an ideal cocktail ingredient for this stay-at-home moment we’re sharing.
Basic Shrubbery
By weight, combine equal parts chopped fruit and sugar. Macerate at least 24 hours to draw out the juices. Add a 1-to-1 ratio of vinegar, usually white wine or champagne vinegar, though cider, sherry and balsamic vinegars can add powerful notes. Infuse for three to seven days, then strain the fruit from the liquid. Pour equal parts spirit and shrub over ice, then top with soda, prosecco or an even split between your spirit and a complementary liqueur. Balance a concoction that is too sour with more sugar, too sweet with more vinegar. Store for three to six months in the refrigerator.
Shrub It Up at Home
Rising to the challenge, Perch bar manager Beth Dixon, aka the “shrub queen,” has been busily preserving the restaurant’s perishables and creating shrubs, as well as assembling DIY cocktail kits — just add spirits. (You stocked up, right?) If not, don’t worry, you can try a switchel, an invigorating Colonial-era soft drink. At its essence, it’s a shrub-based mocktail. Just add soda. Or iced tea. Or tonic. Or ... well, have fun.
Celery-lavender Shrub
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 cups chopped celery
1/4 cup lavender flowers
Bring vinegar, sugar and celery to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add lavender and let steep at least 24 hours.
Rhubarb-fennel Shrub
4-5 stalks rhubarb
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
2 tablespoons fennel
Bring ingredients to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Let steep for an hour then strain.
WSB's Knees
Adan Velis, The Jungle Room
Thai Strawberry-watermelon Shrub
Add equal weights diced strawberry, watermelon and sugar — an optional addition is one to three whole Thai chiles — and macerate 24 hours. Strain through cheesecloth. Add a 1-to-1 ratio of apple cider vinegar. Let sit three to five days. Add basil leaves on the last day.
Cocktail
1 1/2 ounces Barr Hill gin
1 ounce Thai strawberry watermelon shrub
1/2 ounce honey syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.
Strawberry Fields Forever
Nasim Saifullah, Poor Boys
Strawberry-cardamom Shrub
Combine by weight equal parts sliced strawberries and sugar. Add a little water to keep it liquid. Add five to seven cardamom pods and simmer. Strain through cheesecloth to remove seeds. Add a 1-to-1 ratio of apple cider vinegar for tart and sharp flavors or add a 1-to-1 ratio of red wine vinegar for robust and wintry flavors. Let rest three to five days.
Cocktail
1 1/2 ounces Hayman’s Old Tom gin
3/4 ounce strawberry-cardamom shrub
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce Demerara syrup
Give ingredients a short shake with ice and pour into a Collins glass. Top with soda. Garnish with a dehydrated strawberry.
