Mother shrub

Tart and Sweet 

Mother Shrub takes any beverage up a notch 

Growing up, if Meredyth Archer wasn’t feeling well, her grandmother, “Sard,” had one solution: shrubs. The homemade sweetened drinking vinegars were believed to be the cure for just about anything. Now, as an adult and founder of Virginia’s pioneering shrub company, Archer is still discovering ways to use the adaptable and timeless  mixer.

On a recent cruise with her parents, the West Virginia native whipped up spirit-free, tropical-inspired Painkillers made with pineapple and orange juices, coconut seltzer and her very own lime shrub. 

“It was absolutely delicious,” says Archer. 

Archer’s dive into the healthy concoction came after inheriting a vintage family cookbook collection from the 1800s that featured recipes for fruit vinegars. Flooded with childhood memories she took to the kitchen. Later that year, Archer entered the tart and sweet shrubs into the VDACS expo on a whim. 

Possessing an inherent knack for crafting the flavorful vinegars, Archer's Mother Shrub would earn the title of Best New Product during its inaugural appearance.

“It’s been seven years since I officially started … and I didn’t really know what to expect, just thought I’d throw this in there and see what happens and I haven’t had time to sit down since,” says Archer of her business with a laugh.

A fun and modern twist on a timeless tradition, Mother Shrub’s products marry the past and present, allowing people to choose their own drink destiny. When added to a beverage, the shrubs have the potential to enliven anything from spirits to seltzer water to champagne.

“I always tell people, a shrub is the easiest mocktail to make because it adds so many layers of flavors to just seltzer,” says Archer noting the expanding NA movement.

For imbibers, the shrubs can be used in recipes for cocktail classics such as a margarita, Mint Julep or a Greyhound.

Made from organic and non-GMO ingredients, Mother Shrub’s mixing vinegars, which include salted honey, ginger and pineapple, landed on the shelves at Ellwood Thompson’s in 2019. Archer says it’s been rewarding to see the business evolve organically, and for the popularity and understanding of shrubs to grow in recent years. 

One of the newest shrub additions is Vanilla Hickory Pear, a sweet and smoky balance made using wildcrafted hickory bark syrup from Berryville, Virginia’s Falling Bark Farm. 

“I feel like I’ve been introducing shrubs for years and years and finally more people know what they are,” says Archer. “Shrubs are perfect for drinkers and non-drinkers, and kids like it too, so the whole family can get involved.”