Some of the most thrilling alchemy happening in my kitchen right now involves absolutely zero alcohol. The true test isn’t hiding behind a heavy pour of gin; it’s building deep, savoury, mouth-watering complexity from scratch.
No proof required
Forget the dusty, cloying cordials of your childhood. Instead, lean into the lip-smacking magic of botanical drinking vinegars, or “shrubs”. By macerating heavy, overripe raspberries or sharp, green gooseberries with raw apple cider vinegar and local Sussex honey, you draw out an incredibly bright, tart syrup. Poured over ice and crowned with sparkling water, it delivers a deeply thirst-quenching, grown-up bite – without the morning-after regrets.
By capturing the natural, wild yeasts present on early summer elderflowers, you can also create a “Botanical Spritz”, a zero-proof drink with a gentle, wild fizz that dances on the tongue. It’s raw, alive, and tastes exactly like a breezy Sussex shoreline in June.
Recipe: Green Gooseberry & Honey Shrub
A shrub is a brilliant, old-fashioned way to capture the fleeting Sussex summer in a bottle, creating a lip-smacking base for alcohol-free drinks. Gooseberries provide a mouth-puckering, green tartness that mimics the acidity of citrus, while the raw apple cider vinegar gives the drink a complex, savoury “bite” that demands to be sipped slowly.
Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 48 hours resting) | Makes: Approx. 500 ml
Ingredients:
- 400 g green Sussex gooseberries, topped and tailed
- 200 g local Sussex honey
- 250 ml raw apple cider vinegar
- Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
Method:
- To macerate: Roughly crush the gooseberries in a bowl to release their sharp juices. Stir in the sticky honey, cover, and leave in the fridge for 24 hours to draw out the natural syrups.
- To infuse: Pour the raw apple cider vinegar (and thyme, if using) over the fruit mixture. Stir well, cover, and return to the dark of the fridge for another 24 hours.
- To strain: Pass the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the fruit with the back of a spoon to extract every last drop of that vibrant liquid. Discard the solids and pour your clear shrub into a sterilised bottle.
- To serve: Pour 35 ml of the shrub over a glass full of ice (wildflower ice cubes work beautifully here too), top with sparkling water, and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Store the remaining shrub in the fridge for up to a month.
A note on the hedgerow
Before you head out with your basket, remember the golden rules of the conscious forager: never pick more than you need, and never eat anything unless you are 100% certain of what it is. Leave plenty behind for the wildlife, give everything a thoroughly good wash when you get back to the kitchen, and if in doubt, leave it be. Mother Nature runs a spectacular free bar, but can leave a sour taste.
Our Alchemist
Sarah Thompson is a food and travel photographer, writer and stylist. You can find her at https://sussexkitchen.co.uk.
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