Tonics, Shrubs and Syrups for some Old Time Yum!

Date Posted:8 August 2013 

Tonics, Shrubs and Syrups for some Old Time Yum!
Just as bitters have made a comeback in the toolkit of craft bartenders around the world, so have tonics, shrubs and syrups. Great for creating classic and craft cocktails and inspired non-alcoholic drinks.

Tonic, the quinine (cinchona bark) based cocktail mixer, is a blend of carbonated water, sweetener and botanicals, such as lemon grass, spices, and citrus zest.  The tonics below are delicious syrups.  Just add the desired amount of carbonation with soda water.
 
Jack Rudy tonic is essentially a quinine concentrate with a delicate mix of botanicals and sweetened with real cane sugar, which pairs beautifully with the finest gins. 
John's Premium  tonic syrup has layered citrus notes sweetened with agave nectar for a mild sweetness, which allows premium gin and vodka to stand out.  
Liber & Co  is a spiced tonic syrup which has the traditional flavour profile of tonic with fresh botanicals and cracked spices to make it far bolder than typical tonic waters.
TomR's tonic has a rich amber colour, combining the quinine with citrus, herbs and cane sugar, for a perfect balance of bitter, sweet, dry and refreshing.

Shrubs have their origins in colonial times when vinegar was used as an alternative to citrus juices to preserve fruit.  The resulting liquid is mixed with a sweetener and reduced to make a syrup.

Shrub & Co’s shrubs are handcrafted, all natural, and cold-pressed, using authentic recipes revived from the golden age of the cocktail. Their flavours include grapefruit, spicy ginger and tart apple.
Pok Pok Sum’s drinking vinegars provide a pleasant tartness coming from the vinegar and concentrated flavours of fruit, vegetables, and aromatics. Pok Pok Sum is available in apple, honey, pineapple, pomegranate, raspberry and tamarind varieties.

Finally, Only Bitters has also introduced the Small Hand Foods range of artisanal syrups.

These pre-Prohibition cocktail ingredients include an authentic orgeat, gum syrup, pineapple gum, raspberry gum and grenadine.
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Recipe File
 
Mary Pickford
Along with her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, the golden-haired Mary Pickford was at the pinnacle of the first generation of movie royalty. This 1920s Cuban concoction does her honor.
 
Stir well with cracked ice:
1 1/2 oz white rum
1 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon grenadine
 
Strain into chilled cocktail glass and drop in a maraschino cherry.
 
 
French 75
Named after an hard-hitting World War I artillery piece, the French 75 is, as far as can be determined, the only cocktail invented in the United States during Prohibition to become a classic.
 
Shake well with cracked ice:
1 ½ oz London dry gin
½ oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¾ oz simple syrup
 
Strain into highball glass full of cracked ice and top off with chilled champagne.
 

(For Prohibition history, and for more recipes, visit www.prohibitionrepeal.com)


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