I'm constantly captivated by exactly how mixed drinks get their names-- and after searching my fair share of bar food selections, there is one term particularly I've constantly considered: the shrub. What makes a beverage a shrub? And also exactly how did this word, which I connect with a well-groomed garden, become associated with cocktails?

"Shrub" is really the name of two various alcohol-related drinks, and also vinegar plays a rather big duty in this drink's background. One kind is a fruit liqueur that was specifically popular in 17th century England, made with rum or brandy, sugar, fruit as well as citrus juice-- though vinegar was made use of as opposed to citrus to protect berries in the off-season. This liqueur would after that be combined with level or sparkling water to develop a cocktail. The various other type of shrub is a sweetened vinegar-based syrup that can be made use of to make a drink-- this is also called "alcohol consumption vinegar," and is usually infused with fruit juice, herbs and flavors.

The history of the word "shrub" originates from the Arabic sharbah, which means "a drink," though "sherbet" and also "syrup likewise come from this origin. Do I pick up a theme? Shrubs extend back to the Babylonians, who mixed date vinegar right into water to make it secure to consume alcohol, and also the Romans, who created posca from integrating vinegar and water.