Artificial Flavors Free Classic Ginger Shrub
Shrubs — the old-fashioned drinking vinegars that bartenders and home cooks are rediscovering — are one of the most satisfying things you can make from scratch, and this ginger version is a perfect starting point. Store-bought flavored syrups and mixers are loaded with synthetic additives that can be hard to avoid, so making your own means you know exactly what's going in the glass. Fresh ginger, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt are all it takes to build something genuinely complex and alive with flavor. The cold-process method here is key: bruising the ginger into the sugar and letting it rest in the fridge for 48 hours coaxes out every bit of spicy, aromatic juice without any heat that might dull the brightness. A splash of this over sparkling water and ice is endlessly refreshing, and it doubles beautifully as a cocktail mixer with real depth. A batch keeps in the fridge for up to three months, so you'll have a clean, flavorful base on hand whenever you need it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 4 oz fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sliced ginger and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a muddler or the back of a fork to press and bruise the ginger pieces firmly against the sugar, until the sugar begins to look wet and the ginger is fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
- 2
Stir in the fine sea salt and the black peppercorns, if using. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 48 hours, stirring once after the first 24 hours, until the sugar has fully dissolved into a syrup and the ginger has released its juice.
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