Archive for the ‘Companion Cocktails’ tag
Companion Cocktails: Shrub
For my first entry in the category “Companion Cocktails”, I give you The Shrub.
The Shrub?
Nope, not the woody low lying plant your neighbor wants removed from his property line, but the Old English cocktail enjoyed by the Founding Fathers, their fathers, and occasionally, current visitors to Colonial Williamsburg.
Shrub, is derived from the ancient word sharb, meaning “anything alcoholic”, and consists of fruit, sugar, and spirits (usually brandy) reduced into syrup.
Early settlers considered shrubs to be tonics, and they were served in taverns across the new world. A century later Jerry Thomas, author of “How mix drinks, or The Bon Vivant’s Companion,” committed to paper a recipe for shrub that called for fresh cherries, a gill of brandy, and among other things, cheesecloth. Not your typical nightcap.
Today, given refrigeration (vinegar was a natural way to preserve fruit,) the shrub is not as prevalent. But vinegar as a cocktail mixer is making a comeback. In bars across America, mixologists are experimenting with high quality vinegars because their tang replaces citrus in a cocktail, and their sweetness adds layers of flavor without being cloying. Vinegar cocktails are among the high wire acts of mixology, breathtaking, but not for the faint of heart. Don’t be breaking out that bottle of balsamic to mix with your evening snifter of Christian Brothers just yet.
My goal in bringing you Mr. Thomas’ recipes in the form of “Companion Cocktails” is to make them accessible, not just theoretical. Which is why I geeked out upon finding bottled shrub at Surfas (a specialty food store) during the Year of Our Lord 2008. Made by Tait Farm and based on colonial recipes, these non-alcoholic shrubs are perfect with soda water or lemonade for those not wishing to imbibe. Personally, I recommend (as the architects of our democracy would have) combining Tait’s Shrub with brandy and pouring over ice. But I’m just a patriot like that.
Cherry Shrub
2 Tablespoons Tait Farm’s Shrub
1 ½ oz brandy
Soda Water
Pour Shrub and brandy in to Boston Shaker over ice. Shake gently and pour entire contents into tall glass. Garnish as Jerry Thomas would, with fruits of the season.
