In 2013, my wife, Angela, and I got involved in a small, non-profit that foraged local fruit where we learned various techniques to preserve fruit. Around the same time, Angela, then pregnant with our first child, began craving something that had the complexity of a cocktail but that was healthy, made with real ingredients and, of course, had no alcohol. One day, after harvesting 400 pounds of crabapples, we were looking for recipes for our bounty and came across the concept of "shrubs". We learned that shrubs (not small bushes) have a long and complicated history dating back to the 15th century. In colonial America, shrubs became popular as a way to preserve fruit harvested throughout the summer using vinegar (instead of citrus). With this knowledge and fruit from our neighborhood, we started experimenting with shrubs; adding different herbs and spices to create intriguing flavor combinations. After making our first batch with some sparkling water, the result was a drink that was incredibly refreshing and satisfied every aspect of Angela's craving. Creating a product with real, simple ingredients was essential because everything on the market that tasted good was made with something weird or had a ton of sugar. For us that means: Organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) with the "mother", whole, fresh (non-GMO) fruit, organic herbs & spices, a touch of organic, fair trade cane sugar (from a family run business, just like ours). That's it. Real, simple ingredients.