Fructose Free Classic Ginger Shrub
Shrubs — the old-fashioned drinking vinegars — are having a serious comeback, and this ginger version is one of the most versatile you can make. The process is beautifully low-tech: fresh ginger gets bruised into granulated sugar, left to slowly release its juice over 48 hours, then married with apple cider vinegar for a bright, punchy concentrate that keeps in the fridge for up to three months. For anyone navigating fructose sensitivities, store-bought flavored sodas and mixers are often a minefield of high-fructose corn syrup and fruit juice concentrates — this shrub sidesteps all of that with a short, clean ingredient list you can actually trust. Granulated sugar, ginger, vinegar, and a pinch of salt are all you need to build something genuinely complex. Stirred into sparkling water over ice, it delivers a zingy, slightly sweet, slightly tart sip that feels far more sophisticated than its simple origins suggest. It also works beautifully as a cocktail mixer when you want something a little more festive. Once you have a jar of this in your fridge, you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.
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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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