In the drinks world, what’s
old tends to be new again, one example of which is the resurgence of shrubs. Enter
today’s Drink of the Week—the Grapefruit Shrub—which comes from newly launched Shrub & Co. Dating back to Colonial days, shrubs are traditionally a combination
of fresh fruit, vinegar and sugar, and Shrub & Co. modernizes the method
using all organic, California-grown Ruby Red grapefruit, organic white wine
vinegar and organic cane sugar. The results are bright and zingy—definitely
more tart than sweet—with fresh grapefruit flavors (including a friendly hint
of pith), palate-sweeping acidity and a kiss of sweetness on the finish. And
while they’re delicious mixed simply with a glass of seltzer, co-creator
Deborah Marskey says they’re also formulated with cocktail mixing in mind: “We pair
each with everything from bourbon to gin to mezcal to make sure it works.” Try
it in the Bitter Ruby with gin and a splash of chocolaty Cynar. $22/16 oz.
shrubandco.com
Bitter Ruby
1 1/2 oz. gin
1 oz. Shrub & Co.
Grapefruit
1/2 oz. Cynar
Tools: mixing glass,
barspoon
Glass: cocktail or coupe
Garnish: grapefruit twist
Combine all ingredients and
stir with ice. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish.