Introducing The Shrub
It’s finally here, a WLC worthy non-alcoholic drink for our customers- a juicy, delicious shrub! We currently have two flavors, one reflecting the flavors of early summer, a fresh rhubarb and strawberry with blueberry garnish, and one reflecting the later season, a beet, ginger, and peppercorn with a lavender garnish. If you’re not already a shrub fan, you may be asking yourself, what the heck is a shrub? Let us elaborate.
In short, a shrub is a concentrated syrup of vinegar, fruits, aromatics, and sugar. To make it a “beverage,” shrub syrups are added to cool, refreshing water or sparkling water. Now, don’t let the word “vinegar” scare you off. Vinegar creates a delightful, tasty tang that balances sweetness, and is actually good for you. In fact, American history can tell you why and we would love to share with you!
The Red, White, & Blue..berry Shrub
While vinegar-flavored drinks have existed in several global cultures for over a millennia, it was 18th Century colonial Americans, seeking refreshment for the sweltering summers in this new terrain, that really adopted the vinegar-based switchels (a shrub without the addition of fruit) and shrubs as their own.
Shrubs were all the rage in this time period. Donned as the “American drink” they were sought and celebrated, and good for reason. As many know, before refrigeration, eating in season was the only option, unless one could learn to preserve fruits and vegetables with fermentation. Shrubs were one way to do that– colonial Americans could enjoy the sweetness of produce all year round, achieve hydration, a healthier gut, and quench their thirst. That’s right, vinegar can help quench thirst! Having a tart bite, vinegar activates the salivary glands which prevents a dry mouth and throat, and is also said to aid in digestion.
As mentioned above, early Americans were not the only ones that used vinegar-based drinks for refreshment and hydration. From China to Britain, this practice was adopted, but it is rumored that the history goes back even farther. 19th century Americans used to love pointing out Bible passages that indicated that the ancient Israelites had used vinegar-based drinks to cool down, and it is even rumored that Roman soldiers had used them when participating in long summer marches. Whether it be true that ancient Roman soldiers partook in the benefits of a switchel/shrub, we do know 19th century Italian peasants–roman descendants–consumed them while working out in the fields.
Once refrigeration became a common American practice, the shrub seemed to fall drastically out of popularity. However, today, shrubs have gained back their momentum and we couldn’t resist jumping on this bandwagon! Our WLC shrubs exhibit exemplary flavors that delight and refresh your palate. If you have yet to do so, we can’t wait for you to try our newest creation the next time you visit us out at the cidery! We are also currently looking into elevating these drinks even more by adding our own homemade cider vinegar, and in 2023 we hope to bottle them! Follow us on social media to stay in the know of new and exciting moves with our shrubs.
Cheers!
A few historical sources: