Shrub Spritzer

Fruit shrub and sparkling water — colonial American fruit-sugar-vinegar maceration, lost in the 20th century and rediscovered by craft bartenders in the 2000s.

Shrubs — drinking vinegars — have a history in American beverages stretching from Colonial times through the golden age of soda fountains. The practice of macerating fruit with sugar and vinegar to produce a shelf-stable concentrated syrup for drinking predates refrigeration by centuries, offering a way to preserve summer fruits for year-round consumption. Colonial Americans made apple, berry, and citrus shrubs, mixing them with water for a tart, refreshing drink or with rum and brandy for early cocktails. The format largely disappeared from American beverages during the 20th century before being rediscovered by the craft cocktail movement in the 2000s. The Shrub Spritzer combines a contemporary drinking vinegar with sparkling water to create a zero-proof aperitif with genuine complexity: the vinegar's acidity, the fruit's sweetness, and the carbonation's refreshing effervescence produce something far more interesting than standard fruit juice.