This week, I was fortunate enough to have been chosen to compete in a mixologists’ “Battle of Shrubs” at Toronto’s own Martini Club in the Distillery District. Opening their doors in 1996, the club provides a wide range of services, from menu and custom cocktail development to training to catering. As it happens, their home base also houses a fantastic spot for functions, as I found out last year at an amazing Hendrick’s Gin event.

What are shrubs, you ask? Check out this installment of Cocktailing.

Over the course of the evening-long shrubs competition, a panel of four esteemed judges (among them Adam McDowell of The National Post and Food and Drink’s Brenda Morrison) sampled libations from six talented bartenders. Everyone in the room was able to grab a taste after the judges, and I can attest that all offerings were both delicious and different. In the end, two winners were named above the rest: separated by a single point were the works of The Beer Bistro’s Michelle Tham and myself.

“Shrubs are experiencing a revival, as evidenced by recent appearances in Class and Imbibe magazines,” says Tham, adding that “Toronto’s aspiration to be ahead of the curve with relevant and creative cocktails” led to terrific experimentation in this competition.

As for the secret to her success, “My shrub was inspired by in-season gooseberries and its complementing notes found in both tequila and sauvignon blanc. The original twist was the use of Gueuze (blended Lambic beer, a sour and appetizing Belgian style characterized by fermentation by wild yeasts) as the souring agent in the shrub syrup.”

Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush (Michelle Tham, 1st place)
1 oz Milagro
2 oz gooseberry Gueuze shrub
2 oz sauv blanc tonic
Bittermans experimental series cream citrate bitters

Shrub:
1 part gooseberries
1 part white sugar
1 part Lindemans Rene Cuvee Gueuze

Tonic:
3 oz tonic syrup (can be made by reducing 1 can of tonic reduced by 75%)
8 oz sauvignon blanc
-combine both and carbonate using an ISI siphon

The Beauregarde Cocktail (Wes Galloway, 2nd)
1½ oz Gibson’s Finest Canadian Whisky
½ oz spiced blueberry shrub**
½ oz tawny port
3 dashes 50/50 mix of Unicum and Fee Brother’s Aztec Chocolate bitters
5 drops ginger tincture

*Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir well. Fill an Old Fashioned glass with good, solid ice cubes and season the ice by expressing the oils from a large swath of lemon peel into the glass. Strain drink in to glass and garnish with the twist of lemon. Enjoy!

**In a large Mason jar, combine 2 cups wild blueberries with 1 cup Bragg apple cider vinegar.  Let sit for 5-7 days, fiercely agitating once daily. Strain into a pot with through a sieve, making sure to squeeze the juice out of the berries. Add 3 heaping Tbsp cinnamon bark, peel from ½ lemon (pith removed) and boil for 3 minutes or so, skimming the surface. Turn heat to med-low and stir in ¾ cup organic raw sugar and ¼ cup quality maple syrup.

So there you have it! The Martini Club put on a great competition to allow the under-used shrub a chance to shine. Using these recipes as a starting point can help you develop your own delicious, shrub-based cocktails, they’re a unique and delicious way to imbibe. Enjoy!

——————–
Image courtesy of lowlevelrebel.