DIY Mocktail Shrub Recipe & Homemade Syrups (6 Bases) – My Current Obsession#

So, um, I’ve kinda fallen down this rabbit hole with shrubs and homemade syrups the last year or so. Like deep. To the point where my friends come over and are like, “why does your fridge look like a science lab?” because there’s all these random jars with hand‑written labels like “Burnt Pineapple Shrub – DO NOT THROW” and “Chili Mango 2.0 (less sugar!!)".

If you’re new to shrubs: they’re basically drinking vinegars. Fruit + sugar + vinegar = this tangy, sweet, super refreshing base that makes mocktails taste like something off a fancy menu instead of just… juice with bubbles. And in 2026, with all the non‑alcoholic stuff blowing up – zero‑proof bars, functional sodas, that weird but good hop water trend – shrubs are kinda having their moment again.

Every NA cocktail menu I’ve seen this year in bigger cities has at least one shrub drink. When I was in Bangalore in March, this new spot doing “plant‑based mixology” (yes, that’s a thing now) had a Kokum Rose Shrub Spritz on tap. In London last fall there was a bar pouring a smoked plum shrub highball that honestly tasted more complex than half the whisky cocktails I’ve had. Wild.

Why I Traded My Cocktail Shaker For Mocktail Shrubs (well, mostly)#

I used to be that person with like eight bitters, three types of vermouth, and a very questionable collection of half‑empty bottles from trips. Then a couple years ago I slowed way down on alcohol. Not for some big dramatic reason, just… sleep was worse, my Sunday mornings felt like trash, you know the vibe.

But I still wanted the ritual. The whole, it’s 7 pm, I’m cooking, music’s on, I want a grown‑up drink in a pretty glass thing. Sparkling water with a slice of lime was cute for about four days and then I was like absolutely not, I need flavor.

Enter shrubs. And homemade syrups. Together they’re like this cheat code to making mocktails that feel legit, like restaurant‑level legit, without doing some 14‑step, clarified, fat‑washed nonsense that nobody has time for on a Tuesday night.

Quick Shrub Basics (the lazy version I actually use)#

There’s a million ways to make shrubs, but I promise it’s not that deep. My general, not‑very‑precise formula these days:

  • 1 part fruit (fresh, frozen, or a mix – I use about 1 cup chopped fruit)
  • 1 part sugar (or a bit less if the fruit is super sweet)
  • 1 part vinegar (usually 5–6% acidity)

You muddle the fruit with the sugar, let it sit until it gets juicy and syrupy, strain, then mix with vinegar. Chill, shake, forget it in the fridge for a few days, and suddenly it tastes like something you’d pay 8 bucks for at a fancy zero‑proof bar.

Vinegar wise, in 2026 everyone’s playing with options: apple cider, rice vinegar, coconut vinegar, even kombucha vinegar. Some NA bars are literally doing “vinegar flights” which sounds insane but also I would absolutely order that, so. No judgements.

The 6 Syrup & Shrub Bases I Keep Coming Back To#

Alright, here’s the good stuff. These are the 6 bases I rotate constantly. Some are straight shrubs, some are syrups that play nice with shrubs. Mix and match, honestly. None of this is super strict – I’m not a pastry chef, I eyeball way too much.

1. Strawberry Basil Balsamic Shrub – The One That Started It All#

I swear every shrub person has a gateway shrub and this is mine. I had something similar at this tiny place in Pune last year that was doing a whole “farm‑to‑glass” mocktail menu. No alcohol, but the drink list still read like a speakeasy. One of them was a strawberry basil soda with a hint of balsamic and it just… clicked. Tart like a grown‑up drink, but still super juicy.

My very not‑perfect home version:

  • 1 cup chopped ripe strawberries (frozen works, too, honestly they’re more consistent)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp good balsamic vinegar (not the super cheap harsh stuff)
  • Handful fresh basil leaves

Mash the berries with sugar and basil in a jar. I just use the back of a spoon and get in there. Leave it on the counter 2–3 hours, or overnight in the fridge if your kitchen’s hot, until the sugar mostly dissolves and the berries look like they gave up on life.

Strain out the solids, pressing gently so you don’t get mush. Stir in the vinegars. Taste. If it feels too sharp, add a bit of water or more sugar. Shove in the fridge for at least 24 hours before you judge it, because it mellows a lot.

To drink: 30–45 ml (2–3 tbsp) shrub + ice + soda water. If I’m feeling extra, I add a little black pepper on top. Sounds weird, tastes fancy.

2. Pineapple Chili Lime Syrup – My Fake Beach in a Glass#

So this one isn’t a vinegar shrub by default, it’s a syrup, but you can totally mix it with vinegar and turn it into a shrub base. It tastes like you’re on vacation, even if you’re actually just doom‑scrolling on your couch.

I got obsessed with spicy fruit drinks after trying a grilled pineapple agua fresca at this street stand in Mexico City a few years back. And then this summer 2026, I noticed half the trendy NA menus have something pineapple‑chili: pineapple jalapeño coolers, fermented pineapple tepache with chili rims, pineapple tajín spritzers, all that.

My go‑to syrup:

  • 2 cups chopped pineapple (fresh or frozen, don’t stress)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • Zest of 1 lime + juice of 2 limes
  • 1 small green chili or 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (adjust if you’re a spice baby)

Throw everything in a pot, bring to a gentle simmer, then turn it down and let it burble for like 10–15 minutes. Don’t walk away and watch a reel compilation like me and forget it until it burns. Let it cool, strain, bottle, fridge.

To turn it into a shrub, I do 3 parts syrup to 1 part apple cider or coconut vinegar. Coconut vinegar is trendy right now – all the wellness girlies on TikTok in 2026 are into it – and it gives this soft tang that works weirdly well with pineapple.

Drink idea: Pineapple Chili Spritz – 45 ml syrup + 15 ml vinegar + soda + lots of ice, chili‑salt rim if you’re in the mood.

3. Ginger Honey Lemon Base – My "I’m Totally Not Getting Sick" Tonic#

This one is very auntie‑coded but I don’t care. Ginger honey lemon is like the unofficial drink of people who pretend they’re into “immune support” but mostly just like things that taste cozy.

Also, hot ginger‑lemon‑honey is still one of the best things to sip when you’re binge watching something at 2 am and making life choices. Don’t fight me on this.

My base:

  • 1 cup sliced fresh ginger (no need to peel if it’s clean)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup sugar (you can do all honey, but it gets expensive fast)
  • 1 cup water
  • Juice of 3–4 lemons (around 1/2 cup)

Simmer ginger, honey, sugar, and water for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, let it sit another 20 so the ginger really punches through. Strain. When it’s just warm, stir in the lemon juice so you don’t totally cook off the freshness.

You can leave it as a syrup or do 3 parts syrup to 1 part rice vinegar to make it shrub‑y. Rice vinegar is kind of having a moment in mocktails right now – light, a little floral, not as aggressive as white vinegar.

Ways I use it:

  • Hot: 2 tbsp in a mug, top with hot water, pinch of turmeric if I’m pretending to be healthy
  • Cold: 30 ml syrup + cold water + ice = homemade ginger lemonade
  • Fancy: 30 ml syrup + 15 ml shrub vinegar + soda + crushed ice + a rosemary sprig if I’m trying to impress someone

4. Blackberry Cardamom Shrub – The Moody One#

When the whole “dark academia but make it drinks” thing blew up on socials in 2025, there were so many moody, jewel‑toned cocktails and mocktails floating around. Lots of blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries, spices. I totally leaned into that vibe at home.

This blackberry cardamom shrub tastes like it should be sipped in a dim bar with candles and someone playing sad indie music in the corner. Or, you know, in your kitchen with your cat. Same diff.

What I throw together:

  • 1 cup blackberries (frozen berries are actually perfect for shrubs)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 3–4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Cold process this one: mix berries, sugar, and cardamom in a jar, mash a bit, then let it sit in the fridge 24 hours, stirring now and then. Strain, stir in the vinegar, and let it hang out another couple of days if you can resist it.

To serve, I like 30 ml shrub + 60 ml cold black tea + soda. It tastes oddly like a non‑alcoholic red sangria, especially if you toss in sliced orange and apple. 10/10 recommend for when you want to pretend you’re at some hip NA wine bar – those are actually popping up everywhere in 2026.

5. Mango Mint Lime Syrup – The Crowd‑Pleaser#

Every time I have people over and I ask, “what do you guys want to drink?” somebody will say something like, “ummm, anything with mango?” It’s such a safe, happy flavor. I’ve never met a person who hates mango. If you do, I’m low‑key suspicious.

Also, mango mocktails have been everywhere the last year. One of the buzzy new NA spots in Mumbai is doing a smoked mango jaljeera cooler that broke my brain in a good way. Another bar I tried in Singapore had a mango coconut kefir highball which sounded wrong but tasted like a super light lassi with bubbles.

My home version is basic but people inhale it:

  • 1 cup mango pulp (the canned Alphonso pulp is actually amazing for this)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (or less if the pulp is sweet)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Big handful fresh mint leaves

Blend mango, sugar, water, lime juice, and mint until smooth. Strain if you want it silky, or don’t bother if you like it pulpy. Taste and adjust sweetness.

This one I usually keep as a syrup and skip the vinegar, because the lime already gives some brightness. If you do want a shrub, rice vinegar or a splash of white wine vinegar works.

Lazy party hack: big jug, lots of ice, 1 part mango syrup, 3 parts soda water, extra lime slices and mint on top. People think you tried hard. You didn’t.

6. Coffee Vanilla Brown Sugar Syrup – For the Espresso Martini People#

If 2023–2024 was the era of the espresso martini, 2025–2026 is definitely the era of the non‑alcoholic espresso martini. Or like, espresso “martini” in quotes because obviously there’s no martini in it. Every NA bar is doing some version: cold brew, date syrup, foamy aquafaba tops, cacao nib bitters, all that.

I don’t always want something fruity. Sometimes I want my drink to taste like dessert and existential dread. Coffee does that nicely.

My go‑to syrup:

  • 1 cup strong brewed coffee or cold brew
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped
  • Pinch of salt

Simmer coffee and sugar for like 5 minutes, just till the sugar dissolves and it thickens slightly. Turn off, add vanilla and salt, let cool. That’s it.

I don’t add vinegar here – a coffee shrub is a bit too weird for me – but I mix this syrup with other tangy things. For a “not‑espresso‑martini,” I shake:

  • 45 ml cold brew
  • 30 ml coffee vanilla syrup
  • 30 ml oat milk or coconut milk
  • Ice, shake hard till frothy

Strain into a coupe. If I’m being extra, I micro‑grate dark chocolate on top. Does it taste exactly like an espresso martini? No. Is it delicious, caffeinated, and classy? Yup.

How I Actually Use These Bases (because nobody’s out here making 10‑step drinks daily)#

Okay, so you’ve got a few shrubs and syrups hanging out in the fridge. Now what. I’m not out here doing smoked glassware and edible flowers every day, I promise. My actual, real‑life routine is way more low effort.

Most days, my template is:

  • Pick a base: 30–45 ml of one shrub or syrup
  • Add acid if needed: a squeeze of lemon or lime if the drink feels flat
  • Top with bubbles: soda water, tonic, or those new prebiotic seltzers everyone’s obsessed with in 2026
  • Ice, garnish if I remember

Once in a while I’ll go wild and layer two bases, like a splash of pineapple chili with blackberry cardamom. Is it technically correct? I do not know. Does it taste good? Usually. If it doesn’t, I just add more soda and pretend it was supposed to be subtle.

A Few Nerdy but Actually Useful Tips (learned the hard way)#

I’m not gonna hit you with lab‑level detail, but here’s stuff I wish I knew when I started:

  • Use glass jars or bottles, not plastic – vinegar + plastic = weird smells and vibes
  • Label the jars with dates. I once drank a shrub that was “vintage” in the worst possible way. My stomach still remembers.
  • Start with less vinegar than you think, you can always add more. You can’t un‑vinegar something.
  • If a shrub smells off (like fermented in a scary way, not just tangy) or has mold, chuck it. Don’t be a hero.
  • Balance = sweet + sour + sometimes bitter + sometimes salty. A tiny pinch of salt in a mocktail is underrated, it makes flavors pop.

Also, the whole “functional” drink trend in 2026 – with adaptogens, mushroom extracts, electrolytes, etc. – has kinda nudged me to throw extra stuff in sometimes. Chia seeds in mango drinks, a little ashwagandha in nighttime sodas, magnesium powder in my ginger lemon nightcap. Obviously do your own reseach and check what actually makes sense for your body, but it’s fun to play.

Shrubs Out in the Wild – Restaurant & Bar Moments That Stuck With Me#

I always get nosy about NA menus now. There’s so much creativity happening with mocktails that honestly wasn’t there like 5 years ago. A few that live rent‑free in my brain:

In 2025, I was in Mumbai for work and this new place had just opened that was all about “elevated non‑alcoholic pairings.” They had this mango tamarind shrub highball with black salt and it was so perfectly balanced I literally took out my phone mid‑sip to type notes. People probably thought I was texting, but nope, I was writing “mango tamarind black salt shrub DO THIS AT HOME” like a maniac.

Then in early 2026, a friend dragged me to a zero‑proof bar in Berlin that just opened in this old, slightly creepy building. Their menu had a beetroot raspberry shrub with cocoa nibs and smoked sea salt. It looked like someone put red wine and a thunderstorm in a glass. I did not think beet and raspberry should work, but wow. Now I’m low‑key planning a beet shrub experiment at home, even though my kitchen will probably look like a murder scene.

And closer to home, there’s this tiny café that opened near me that does coffee by day, NA cocktails by night. They make a rosemary grapefruit shrub tonic that tastes like it belongs in some expensive spa in the mountains. I tried to recreate it twice and mine was… okay. Not a total fail, but the rosemary kept going either too soapy or too faint. Work in progress.

How Long Do Shrubs & Syrups Keep? (and Do I Really Need To Worry?)#

I get asked this every time I post them on stories. Short answer:

– Syrups (no vinegar) – I try to finish within 2–3 weeks in the fridge. High sugar helps them last, but the flavor drops off after a while.
– Shrubs (with vinegar) – usually 1–3 months, sometimes longer, as long as they live in the fridge, the jar is clean, and you’re not dipping spoons in and out constantly.

They can last way longer – some people age shrubs for months on purpose – but I’m not super precise about it. I just look, smell, taste a tiny bit. If anything looks fuzzy or smells like actual feet, it’s a no from me.

Why This All Still Feels Fun (and Not Like A Wellness Chore)#

Honestly the best thing about making shrubs and syrups is how low‑pressure it is. If you mess up a batch, you’re out some fruit and sugar, not a rare bottle of mezcal. And you can tweak stuff constantly – more spice, less sweet, different vinegar – without needing a recipe book every time.

Plus, there’s something really nice about having a little NA ritual that still feels special. In 2026, with everybody talking about sober curiosity, mindful drinking, “damp January” turning into “damp year,” whatever, it’s kinda cool to realize you don’t need alcohol to have that moment of, "ahhh, my day is done, here’s my fancy drink."

I still drink sometimes, I’m not some perfect wellness person, but on most nights it’s me, a shrub, fizzy water, and a slightly chaotic glass garnish that keeps sliding into the drink because I cut it wrong. And I’m good with that.

If You Try One Thing…#

If you’re reading all this and thinking, okay this sounds nice but I’m lazy, start with just one base. Pick strawberries if you like bright and fruity, or ginger honey lemon if you’re into cozy. Make a small batch. Write the date on the jar even if your handwriting is trash like mine.

Then for a week, just replace your usual soda or juice with a shrub soda at least once a day. No rules, just see what combos you like. Half the fun is accidentally discovering that blackberry cardamom + tonic water is your personality now, or that a little pineapple chili in coconut water tastes like a beach you can’t afford to visit yet.

Final Sips & Random Thoughts#

Me and shrubs are definitely in a long‑term relationship at this point. They’ve turned my boring water breaks into tiny tasting sessions, and my friends now expect a full NA lineup when they come over, which, rude but fair.

If you start playing with these six bases – strawberry basil balsamic, pineapple chili lime, ginger honey lemon, blackberry cardamom, mango mint lime, and that coffee vanilla brown sugar situation – you’ll basically have your own little mocktail bar at home. Mix, match, ignore the rules a bit. The worst thing that happens is you make something meh and add more soda till it’s drinkable.

I’m gonna keep messing around with new combos, especially now that every new restaurant opening seems to have some wild NA list I want to reverse‑engineer. I’ve got my eye on a tamarind kola shrub a bar in Delhi just launched, so expect chaos in my kitchen soon.

If you want more food‑and‑drink rabbit holes like this – not just shrubs but all the little obsessions that make home cooking fun – I’ve found a bunch of cool stories and recipe inspo over on AllBlogs.in lately. Worth a scroll when you’re sipping your next DIY mocktail and pretending you’re your own bartender.