Lemon Shrub

Bright and bracing, the Lemon Shrub was a staple in both colonial kitchens and shipboard stores—valued not only for its refreshing quality but for its perceived medicinal virtue. Our Lemon Shrub follows an 18th-century approach: freshly pressed lemon juice and peel combined with vinegar and sugar, preserving the fruit’s lively essence in a tart-sweet cordial.

Lemons, imported from warmer climates, were among the most sought-after fruits of the period. Their sharpness made them ideal for preserving in shrub form, and their high acidity lent them to practical uses at sea, where sailors believed them to stave off illness. On land, the lemon shrub was prized for cooling the blood in summer heat, often served over ice or blended with spring water and spirits.

Clean, crisp, and sharply aromatic, this shrub delivers a vivid citrus burst, softened by just enough sweetness to make it agreeable on the tongue. Whether enjoyed on its own, with water, or stirred into rum or brandy, it remains a tonic as pleasing today as it was two centuries ago.