Shrub Cocktails

In our March/April 2023 issue, we explore how bartenders are using shrubs to add a welcome complexity and complementary flavors to cocktails and alcohol-free drinks. And since these simple blends of vinegar, sugar, and fruit also provide a means to preserve produce, they’re a sustainable answer to when life hands you a bounty of lemons, or in the case of the following recipes—blackberries, pears, apples, and pineapples.

Blackberry Shrub Cocktail

Adele’s in Nashville created this vodka cocktail as a way to make use of an abundance of blackberries.

The Chill Pill

The vodka base of this cocktail allows yellow Chartreuse and pineapple shrub to shine.

Hartwood Cocktail

A citrusy pear/ginger shrub marries beautifully with the darker oak and vanilla notes of aged tequila and nutty sherry.

Late to the Party

This shandy balances out a pear shrub’s acidity with the bitterness of amaro and the dryness of fino sherry.

Nacho Cocktail

Looking for the perfect drink to pair with tacos? Try this tequila cocktail featuring a ­chili ­pepper–flecked­ shrub­ that adds­ a­ tangy, ­sweet ­heat­.

The Offering

A spiced pear shrub complements the oaky character of reposado tequila.

Orchard Thief

Apple lovers will fall for this whiskey cocktail featuring an apple cinnamon shrub.