Nitrate & Nitrite Free Classic Ginger Shrub
Shrubs — the old-school 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 standout. Fresh ginger, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt are all you need to build something bright, spicy, and deeply complex. The cold-process method does the heavy lifting: bruising the ginger into the sugar and letting it rest in the fridge for 48 hours coaxes out every bit of that fiery, aromatic juice without any heat that might dull the flavor. Many store-bought sodas, mixers, and flavored syrups sneak in preservatives that people avoiding nitrates and nitrites have to watch out for — making a homemade shrub like this a genuinely clean alternative. Stirred into sparkling water over ice, it delivers a zingy, refreshing drink that feels far more sophisticated than the short ingredient list suggests. It also works beautifully as a cocktail mixer whenever you want something with a little more edge. A sealed jar keeps in the fridge for up to three months, so one batch goes a long way.
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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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