From Fruit to Fizz

There’s something magical about summer on the patio, bare feet, golden light, and a cold drink in hand. And when the fridge is full of ripe market fruits, it’s the perfect time to get playful with your drinks.

Let’s talk shrubs—but not the kind that grow in your yard.

The shrubs I’m talking about are deliciously tangy drinking vinegars crafted from fruit, sugar, and vinegar—simple, yet packed with flavor. They’re your secret weapon for bottling up the sunshine and spirit of summer.

Tart, sweet, and endlessly refreshing, shrubs marry classic flavors with a vibrant new twist in each sip. Think of them as a bright, punchy concentrate to mix with sparkling water or spirits if you’re cocktail-inclined. Perfect for warm afternoons, post-dinner wind-downs, or anytime you crave a bold, thirst-quenching summer sip.

A Little Shrub History

Shrubs have been around for centuries, originally used as a way to preserve fruit before refrigeration. These zingy tonics made a comeback thanks to the craft cocktail movement—but their appeal goes far beyond the bar. With a good shrub in your fridge, you’ve got an easy base for non-alcoholic drinks, homemade sodas, or even salad dressings—my favorite!

Why Apple Cider Vinegar?

While shrubs can be made with all kinds of vinegars—white wine, red wine, balsamic—apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a favorite. It’s mellow but flavorful, full of good-for-your-gut probiotics (especially the raw, unfiltered kind with “the mother”), and it pairs beautifully with fruits like apples, berries, pears, peaches, and citrus. ACV also adds a subtle complexity that makes a shrub feel both rustic and elevated.

How to Make a Shrub

The basic formula is simple: equal parts fruit, sugar, and vinegar—but there’s room to play.

Quick Method (Heat-Based):

Combine 1 cup chopped fruit (like strawberries, blackberries, or apple slices) with 1 cup sugar in a saucepan.
Let the fruit macerate a bit (or simmer gently) until it’s juicy and fragrant.
Stir in 1 cup apple cider vinegar.
Cool, strain, and store in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge. It’ll keep for several weeks, and the flavor improves over time.

Cold Method (No Heat):

Combine fruit and sugar in a jar and let it sit in the fridge for a day or two until the juices are drawn out.
Add vinegar and stir well.
Strain, bottle, and chill.
Both methods yield a tangy-sweet syrup you can mix with sparkling water for an easy DIY soda, or stir into cocktails for a tart twist.

Flavor Ideas to Get You Started

Strawberry & Basil – The sweetness of ripe strawberries with the herbaceous freshness of basil, perfect for sipping on a warm day.
Peach & Ginger – Sweet, juicy peaches paired with the zing of fresh ginger for a little extra kick.
Cucumber & Mint – A cool, crisp cucumber paired with refreshing mint for a garden-fresh vibe in your drinks.
Plum & Rosemary – Sweet, tangy plums mixed with earthy rosemary for a more savory twist.

Find Shrubs in Town

Lone Pine Coffee, featured here, has three shrub flavor combos on its year-round menu! Currently choose from guava passionfruit, black currant bergamot, or apricot cherry.
Lady Bird mixes a berry shrub in Ruby Waves, one of its NA cocktails.
Spork, known for their delicious food and inventive cocktails, offers a seasonal rotating shrub as well. I once had celery shrub there that blew my mind.
The Wayfarer Club in Redmond offers a house made shrub in either its low proof sangria or zero proof with sparkling water.

Final Sip

Shrubs are a great way to celebrate seasonal produce, reduce food waste, and add some zing to your drinks—whether you’re looking for a zero-proof sipper or an adventurous cocktail base. Once you start making them, you might find yourself reaching for vinegar more often than you’d think.

Cheers to the sweet side of sour.

—Alyson Brown is a beverage photographer and drink stylist with an appreciation for a well-built cocktail. Her passion for cocktails led to her first book, The Flower-Infused Cocktail: Flowers With A Twist. Presently, Brown resides in The Stacks Studios in The Old Mill District, situated right in the heart of Bend, Oregon.

This article appears in Source Weekly May 8, 2025.