Rowdy Mother | A Refreshing Cocktail or Mocktail Made with a Raspberry Shrub

The Rowdy Mother is a rejuvenating drink made with a raspberry shrub. It can be made as a cocktail by adding booze or kept alcohol-free by leaving it out. It’s a drink with a bite, thanks to the red wine vinegar in the raspberry shrub; and yet, it’s refreshing, too, thanks to the fresh raspberries and sparkling raspberry water.

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Have you ever heard of a shrub before? And no, I’m not talking about the shabby little bushes you should’ve pulled outta your overgrown flower bed three years ago. I’m talking about the shrubs used in drinks.

Shrubs have been around for millennia but the term has only recently resurfaced in the cocktail world, thanks to the resurgence of craft cocktails. A shrub is a non-alcoholic syrup made from vinegar, sugar, and fruit, and sometimes other spices or aromatics.

They can be used in cocktail recipes, alcohol-free drinks, or drunk on their own. They’re an easy way to impart a lot of bite and flavor to a drink with little effort.

Shrubs have long been dubbed as restorative drinks. If you’ve got a few spare minutes, I highly suggest you check out The Ultimate History Project’s article about the history of shrubs and switchels (a fruit-less shrub) in America.

Today, shrubs do provide health benefits. Vinegar is known for its ability to support good digestion and immune health. It also has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and can lower blood sugar levels. However, not all shrubs are created equal. Some contain “the mother”, or the colony of good bacteria, which means even more of the health benefits are delivered to you.

Other Mother Vinegar is one such shrub. Several weeks back, my husband and I took a socially-distanced vacation to our favorite spot– Fredericksburg, Texas. One of the things we like to do if we’re there on a Thursday is check out their farmer’s market. Lisa from Other Mother was there and we got to chat for a second about her product. I had been wanting to try shrubs in cocktail recipes for a while and OM’s shot-sized bottles would make it easy. I bought the ginger and honey shrub and Lisa was kind enough to throw in raspberry shrub, too, and boy am I glad she did!

Other Mother Vinegar is unique amongst other shrub companies because they use red wine vinegar. This makes it taste smoother than shrubs with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. OMV is also made using Texas wine, which is pretty cool seeing as how I’m a Texan and all. You can read more about Other Mother Vinegar here.

(By the way, this is not a sponsored post. I just love spreading the word about local businesses!)

If you’re looking to up your cocktail or mocktail game, consider buying some shrubs or even making your own. Here’s a recipe my friend Mark sent me. He’s a great mixologist & a good (Insta) friend, too!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub

– 6 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/4 inch pieces – 2 oz. fresh strawberries, cut into quarters – 8 oz sugar – 8 oz white vinegar

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb has completely broken down. Take off heat and pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Let the strained shrub cool before storing it. It can be refrigerated for 3-5 days.

Now on to today’s recipe. The Rowdy Mother recipe is a perfect way to enjoy a shrub. It’s easy, fresh, and can be made boozy or kept clean. Your choice. You can certainly sub the raspberry shrub for whatever flavor you have on hand, but if you can find it (or make your own using Mark’s recipe) I think tart raspberry pairs beautifully with the acidic vinegar.

I’ve also gotta point at that the Rowdy Mother is not named after my mom. (Unlike my other vinegar-based drink, Mother’s Garden!) The Mother part comes from the fact that Other Mother Vinegar shrubs contain “the mother”. Although… my mom can be kinda rowdy sometimes. But those are stories for future posts. (JK, mom.)

If you make the Rowdy Mother, be sure to tag me on Instagram!

Ingredients for the Rowdy Mother

• 1 1/2 oz vodka or gin (optional)
• 1 oz raspberry shrub
• 3 raspberries
• 1/4 oz lemon juice
• 1-3 oz raspberry sparkling water (I used La Croix’s cran-raspberry flavor)

How to Make a Rowdy Mother – A Healthy Cocktail or Mocktail with Raspberry Shrub

Add alcohol (optional), raspberry shrub, raspberries, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Gently (very gently!) muddle the raspberries with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Double-strain* over a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the glass with the sparkling water.

*Hold a fine mesh strainer over the glass while you pour. This will catch any raspberry seeds and flesh from getting in your glass. Totally an optional step.