The Return of the Shrub: How to Make and Drink Traditional Fruit Cordials

In all the best cocktail bars and artisan food circles right now, there is a major revival happening around a deeply historic style of drink. If you look at the menus of the world's trendiest establishments, you will find countless concoctions with exotic names—but one of the most popular elements driving the craft drink scene today is the humble shrub.

While it might not sound exotic or adventurous at first, the word “shrub” describes a fascinating style of drink that has been delighting palates for a very long time. Now, shrubs are taking off in popularity once again.  

And the shrub renaissance is being led by some of the world’s top mixologists. By using raw ingredients like ripe fruits alongside a magic elixir—otherwise known as high-quality vinegar—the inventors of these modern drinks are creating extraordinary flavours that can be enjoyed in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic serves.  

The Cornish History of the Fruit Shrub

The story of the shrub is a fascinating one that was born centuries ago on the wild coasts of Cornwall, where barrels of smuggled rum were often tainted with seawater. In an attempt to make the stuff palatable, the ever-inventive Cornish came up with a strongly flavoured cordial to take the edge off the salty booze.  

Perhaps they called it “shrub” because it mainly consisted of strongly flavoured herbs picked from local hedgerows. These were infused with cider vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Shrub’s popularity crept east of the Tamar and eventually a well-known firm of vintners cashed-in by creating a branded drink of that name and marketing it far and wide. That commercial shrub is still available today, but it’s not the artisan-made, fresh concoction we’re talking about here.  

I first learned about true, homemade shrubs in Cornwall—at the excellent Watergate Bay Hotel just north of Newquay. Staff at the hotel staged a mixology competition, and that was where I learned that the substances fuelling the renaissance in the world’s hippest bars are very much homemade, small-batch creations. And one of the most exciting things about the concept is that you do not need to be an expert mixologist to make your own.

We can easily create shrubs at home and enjoy them as sophisticated non-alcoholic cordials mixed with something like sparkling water, or as delicious cocktails armed with a punch. We can even use shrubs to flavour stocks and sauces in the kitchen.

The Health Benefits of Drinking Vinegars

It was the Aspall cider company’s Henry Chevallier Guild who began looking into shrub-style drinks when his wife persuaded him to join her in occasional periods of abstaining from alcohol. Henry has written about the subject, and he says that one of the difficulties of abstinence is the shortage of alternative “interesting things to drink”.  

Looking into the history, he discovered that vinegar (which, of course, Aspall makes in the form of superb cider vinegars) was traditionally added to drinks to make them more palatable.  

“The Babylonians added date vinegar to water to make it safe to drink. The Romans were at it as well, mixing vinegar and water to make a refreshing beverage called posca. Colonial-era sailors carried shrubs rich with Vitamin C aboard their boats to prevent scurvy. Unsurprisingly, shrubs gained massive popularity during the Temperance movement, and many 19th and early 20th-century housekeeping manuals contain recipes for them,” Henry explains.

“A whole new world opened up. I make shrubs not from pre-packed cordials and syrups, but from the raw fruits themselves. And once you start doing this, the portfolio of options really does expand exponentially. You can use pretty much anything to make a shrub – parsnip, rosemary and cracked black pepper anyone? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”  

Both shrub and syrup are derived from the Arabic sharbah, which means ‘a drink’—just like the word sherbet. They really are very old drinks indeed.

Why Top Mixologists Choose Vinegar Cocktails

But today it’s all about ‘mouth-feel’. That is what you get naturally with an alcoholic drink—whereas non-alcoholic drinks tend to be overly sugared to make up for the lack of it. And this is precisely what is fuelling the modern shrub revolution. The natural acidity of the vinegar mimics that adult bite, giving a dry, clean finish that sugar alone can never achieve. The hippest bars nowadays have dedicated shrub cocktail menus, and it’s only a time before national pub chains start following suit.

Shrubs have a beautiful, hand-made feel, allowing you to follow seasonal recipes as different fruits emerge through the year. But it is that crisp, acid quality that makes the real difference.

Inspired by my chats with the experts, I decided to make some shrub at home after buying a couple of punnets of raspberries that were nearly past their sell-by date. Armed with a bag of satsumas, a bottle of Aspall’s cider vinegar, and a few spoonfuls of sugar, I was in business. By letting the fruit macerate in the sugar to draw out the juices before swirling in the vinegar, the results were absolutely delicious—a sharp, sweet, vibrant cordial that brings a real splash of artisan magic to the glass.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why does vinegar give non-alcoholic drinks a better 'mouth-feel'?

As any good mixologist will tell you, alcohol provides a natural weight, bite, and complexity on the palate. Most standard soft drinks rely entirely on sugar to make up for this, which can leave them tasting flat and cloying. The acetic acid in high-quality vinegars replicates that sophisticated adult "bite" and dry finish, creating a deeply satisfying mouth-feel without a single drop of alcohol.

What is the historic connection between Cornwall and shrub drinks?

Centuries ago along the rugged Cornish coast, smuggling was a major underground trade. Barrels of rum brought ashore by smugglers were frequently contaminated or diluted by seawater during transit. To make the salty, spoiled alcohol palatable, resourceful locals created intensely flavored cordials using local hedgerow herbs, cider vinegar, and sugar to mask the brine—birthing a regional love for the shrub.

How do you store a homemade fruit shrub and how long does it last?

Once you have strained the fruit solids out of your shrub, pour the liquid into a clean, sterilized glass bottle or jar and seal it tightly. Store it in the refrigerator. Thanks to the high preserving qualities of both the sugar and the vinegar acid, a homemade shrub will easily keep for 6 months or more, with the flavours becoming smoother and more rounded over time.

Quick-Glance Guide: The Craft Mixology Matrix

This gives your digital readers an instant visual anchor, breaking down how to balance the fruit and acid:

Fruit Profile	Best Vinegar Choice	Serve Companion
Raspberry & Satsuma (Martin's Mix)	Aspall's Cider Vinegar	Light tonic water, plenty of ice, and a twist of citrus peel
Hedgerow Blackberries	Red Wine Vinegar	A shot of dark rum or bourbon, topped with fiery ginger beer
Rosemary & Pear	White Wine Vinegar	Chilled sparkling water or used to deglaze a game meat sauce