Pear Ginger Shrub incorporates seasonal flavors in an interesting drink mix without getting too complicated. The ginger gives this beverage a nice bite while the flavor of ripe pear adds soft sophistication. Try it with club soda over ice or experiment with a cocktail recipe of your own.

Ginger Pear shrub and Raspberry Thyme Shrub served in glasses on the back porch.

On the Road Again

I have recipes, new and old, piling up around here. I’ve been on the road a lot these past few months but I’ve spent time in the kitchen too, working some new discoveries into my seasonal repertoire. Looking back there are at least a few that are worthy of sharing. Take this Pear Ginger Shrub for example.

I first discovered shrubs on the drink menu at Pizzeria Toro in Durham, NC. It was a warm September evening as my husband and I sat across from each other at a long communal table in front of the pizza oven. The fire was bright and the activity in the kitchen was brisk as pizza crusts were smothered with toppings then paddle loaded into the oven chamber, rearranged and, a few minutes later, retrieved all melty and golden.

We looked over the drink menu, more interested in ordering something thirst quenching than buzz inducing. We saw “shrubs & soda” followed by a list of fruits and wondered. Asking, we learned that shrubs are an old-fashioned concentrated syrup generally made from fruit, vinegar and sugar. While shrubs make great cocktail mixers, added to club soda alone they make a drink that is both sweet and tangy as well as refreshing. They taste something like a cross between lemonade and soda. My husband ordered the watermelon shrub and I ordered peach.

Shrub & Co products for sale at Parker and Otis in Durham, NC.

Where Have I Been?

Perhaps I am a bit late to the game. Though I had never heard of shrubs before, once I was initiated I began to see them everywhere. The next day we stopped by Parker and Otis to pick up some local handcrafted nut butters I have heard great things about. Only a few shelves away I quickly noticed a book titled Shrubs: An Old-Fashioned Drink for Modern Times. I flipped through it briefly before adding it to my basket along with a bottle of Grapefruit Shrub elixir from Shrub & Co.

The Grapefruit Shrub elixir was delicious. It was the perfect drink mixer for late summer afternoons on the front porch. I have never much liked the syrupy sweetness of ordinary soda drinks. I prefer lemonade, though too often it errs on the sweet side as well.

This Grapefruit Shrub, mixed with club soda, is pleasingly tart without tasting puckery. There is just enough sweetness to balance the tart and a hint of grapefruit bitter to offer an exotic twist. Overall it maintains a light and healthy vibe enhanced by Shrub & Co.’s promises of local organic sourcing and responsible business practices.

A variety of shrubs, including Pear Ginger Shrub, in mason jars with blackboard labels displayed in front of a vintage apron.

Discovering Shrubs – By the Book

As it turns out, the shrub recipe book is fabulous too. Here Michael Dietsch offers some history on the evolution of shrubs, along with a few historic recipes from the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Martha Washington. After grounding our understanding he describes technique and offers recipes for a wide variety of fruit flavor combinations, along with a few interesting exceptions. The last chapters provides recipes for cocktails and other shrub creations. All the while this book encourages experimentation and creative license.

I have tried several of the recipes from my new book. I especially liked the Pear-Ginger Shrub. Its flavors are well balanced and rooted in autumn. It smelled so delicious while I was making it that it was hard to wait the week it steeped in the refrigerator before trying it. It was one of five shrub recipes I made from the book and it is definitely my favorite.

This shrub would make a nice beverage for holiday gatherings. It incorporates the flavors of the season in an interesting mix of sweet, spicy and tangy without getting too complicated. The ginger adds a nice bite and the flavor of ripe pear adds a little soft sophistication. Try it with club soda over ice or experiment with a cocktail recipe of your own.