After ditching her corporate gig, Rebecca SerVoss put her passion into production with a line of shrubs. The Shrubbery, a play-on-words and nod to the cult film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” was launched last year and under the encouragement of her husband. With the generous accessibility of Northwest fruit, the shrubs are handmade—from labels SerVoss designs herself to bottling. The Shrubbery produces its seasonal offering in a shared kitchen space in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood, often with fruit SerVoss buys from purveyors she meets at Seattle-area farmers markets. According to SerVoss, the Broadway Farmers Market is the best way to find her and the shrubs directly, while Wine World & Spirits, Sugarpill, DeLaurenti and Copperworks Distilling all retail her products.
As featured at our Sips of the Summer Bash last week, popular demand asked nicely for the mocktail recipes SerVoss was serving up on the 40th floor of Premiere on Pine in downtown Seattle. And she obliged.
Blueberry Party Punch
Serves 8-10
8 ounces Blueberry Cinnamon shrub
2 12-ounce bottles Vanilla Bean Dry Soda
1 liter seltzer water
½ ounce lemon bitters
In a large pitcher or drink dispenser (¾ gallon or larger), combine shrub, bitters and soda. Chill 1-2 hours. Before serving, stir gently while adding seltzer. Pour over ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.
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Bitter Apricot
Makes 2
1 ½ ounces Apricot Rosemary shrub
3 dashes cardamom bitters, such as Scrappy’s
4 ounces Juniper Berry Dry Soda
2-3 ounces seltzer water
In a shaker with ice, combine shrub and bitters. Shake well, 15-20 seconds. Strain evenly between two highball or Collins glasses. Add 2oz of the Juniper Berry soda to each glass, stirring gently to combine. Fill the glass with ice and top off with Seltzer. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig.
