Restorative Vinegar Shrubs to Drink During Dry January

Whether you’re participating in Dry January or just looking for alcohol-free alternatives to enjoy anytime, zippy, vinegar-based drinks are always a good choice.

Shrubs, also known as drinking vinegars, are concentrated syrups that originated in Colonial America as a means of preserving summer produce through the winter months. Often made with fruit and berries picked at their peak combined with vinegar and sugar, shrubs are the original ready-made nonalcoholic cocktail concentrate.

The bright vinegar acidity balanced with the sweetness from ripe produce and sugar makes for a flavor-rich template that can be enhanced with herb and spice infusions, topped with sparkling water and served aperitif-style.

We’ve gathered our favorite shrub and drinking vinegar recipes to sustain you through January and beyond.

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Though most shrubs are made with ripe fruit, this earthy, vegetal variation uses celery as its base alongside sweet white balsamic vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. This herbaceous shrub was created by bartender Masahiro Urushido while at New York City’s Katana Kitten and was originally paired with vodka. However, the rich complexity of the celery reduction blends seamlessly into a refreshing highball with a generous seltzer topper.

The Ingalls

Fresh beet juice, pre-purchased from a juice bar or pressed at home, provides the base for this ruby-hued refresher. Distilled white vinegar and freshly squeezed lemon juice amp up the acidity in this shrub, balanced with an ample amount of sweetness from the beet juice and granulated sugar. Serve this sweet-tart tincture with chilled seltzer as a festive brunch cocktail or during aperitivo hour.

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Strawberries and balsamic vinegar are classic companions that come together in this chile-infused shrub created by Jillian Vose of Charleston’s Hazel and Apple cocktail bar. Balancing sweet, sour, and smoky spice, dried chiles de árbol are steeped in a syrup made with strawberries and balsamic vinegar. This deep maroon-colored shrub packs a punch of heat but can be tempered by halving the amount of chiles and infusion time.

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell

This autumnal-inspired shrub combines pumpkin puree, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, pumpkin spice, and a touch of salt. Pumpkin spice-flavored treats tend to be overwhelmingly sweet, but this shrub is balanced with a good amount of acidity.

Rich and silky, the apple vinegar base holds up to the warming spice mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice, creating a winter flavor bomb. Try this in a non-alcoholic Pumpkin Spice Shrub Spritz by topping with soda water and garnishing with a cinnamon stick.

Ed Anderson

Sharab el ward is a rose-flavored drink that can be found in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Chef Rahanna Bisseret Martinez was inspired by the Lebanese version as well as a traditional shrub. Made with raspberries, white vinegar, sugar, and rose water, this non-alcoholic cocktail is tart, bright and floral.

Balsamic vinegar and strawberries come together once again in this sweet-tart shrub with spicy black pepper. This recipe calls for an aged balsamic, giving it even more complexity and concentration of flavors.

Whole black peppercorns, sugar, and water are turned into a warm and spicy syrup and then combined with muddled fresh strawberries, vinegar, and fresh lemon juice. When serving this drink, shake mixture well, strain, and top with an ounce of chilled club soda.

Source link