Have you ever sipped a shrub? Not a bush, but a fruit syrup,
preserved with vinegar and mixed with water or alcohol to make a
tangy, refreshing beverage. An old-fashioned favorite, shrubs
have steadily made a comeback, especially on cocktail menus, but
they aren't solely the province of mixologists. Making a shrub
syrup at home is a fun way to preserve and play with seasonal
fruit, and this template may be followed for practically any
fruit you have on hand. In addition to drinks, you can use the
brightly flavored syrup in salad dressings, as a glaze for
meats, or add a splash to homemade jam. The word "shrub" is
derived from the Arabic sharbah, which means "a drink."
"Sherbet" and "syrup" also come from this Arabic root. Although
drinking vinegars aren't so common today, they have a long
history stretching back to the Babylonians, who added date
vinegar to water to make it safe to drink, and the Romans, who
mixed vinegar and water to make a beverage called posca.
Colonial-era sailors carried shrubs, rich wit