Cold-Pressed Shrubs
Cold-Pressed Shrubs
Shrubs can be a real rabbit hole. You Google them, and suddenly you’re drowning in recipes, techniques, and people swearing their way is the “only way.” Overwhelming? Absolutely. Necessary? Not at all. Shrubs don’t have to be complicated—they’re basically just fruit, sugar, and vinegar hanging out together until they taste amazing.
Now, there are two main techniques: cold press and hot press. We’re only talking cold press here, because it’s fresher, cleaner, and honestly, hot press tastes like sadness in a bottle (or maybe I just suck at it—either way, I’m sticking with cold press).
The Formula (Spoiler: It’s Stupid Simple)
A shrub is basically equal parts fruity syrup and vinegar. That’s it.
Here’s how to make it without losing your mind:
-
Pick your fruit – Let’s say strawberries, because they’re crowd-pleasers.
-
Chop it up – Wash, slice, dice, whatever. Just don’t leave them whole unless you enjoy waiting forever.
-
Weigh it – Toss the fruit in a clean container and weigh it.
-
Sugar time – Add the same weight of sugar as fruit (100 g fruit = 100 g sugar). Cover everything like you’re tucking it in for bed.
-
Wait it out – Seal the container and let it sit. Room temp for 24 hours, or fridge for 48 if you’re patient (or paranoid).
-
Liquid gold – The sugar will pull out all that juicy goodness. Strain it into a measuring cup.
-
Vinegar splash – Add vinegar in equal parts. Pro tip: pour slowly and taste as you go. Remember the golden rule of bartending: you can always add more, but you can’t un-pour vinegar once it’s in there.
Why Bother?
Because shrubs are ridiculously versatile. They add zing to cocktails, mocktails, sodas, or even just water when you’re pretending to be healthy. The small guide below is a free-to-use guide that helps you to pair the right vinegars with the right fruits. It's not facts, just my opinion.