McClary Bros. Old Timey Drinking Vinegars - A Delicious New Take On Your Favorite Drinks

When one hears the word vinegar, their first thought isn't a tasty drink. However, when it comes to McClary Bros. Old Timey Drinking Vinegars, that is exactly the case. McClary Bros. is a Michigan company through and through. The company is Michigan based, they use Michigan produce, and they sell their product locally.

So the first question you probably have is, what the heck is a drinking vinegar? Well according to the McClary Bros., "Drinking Vinegars, more commonly referred to as "Shrubs", are a Colonial-era drink mixer. We combine organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with fresh, seasonal ingredients and organic cane sugar. The result is a refreshing, exciting mixer that we know you’ll enjoy as a cocktail or shrub soda." There are a wide variety of flavors to add to your cocktail or soda, from Michigan Apple Pie to Detroit Fig Leaf. The flavors change according to the season, you can check out a full list here.

We first heard of McClary Bros. from Mitten Crate, then Sadie saw the company at a Yelp event a few weeks ago. The name, the bottle, and the product had us intrigued. So, we decided to find out more about these brothers and their tasty concoctions. What we found out is that the company is actually ran by the mother and father of the McClary Bros. (who are a little too young to be in the business yet), Jess and Josh. Jess actually started out in the food business, by making baked goods, but she wanted to do something more. After research and soul searching, she made the decision to move away from pies and towards drinking vinegars. The company has expanded from their home, to a booth at The Rust Belt, a stand at Detroit's Eastern Market, and a spot on the shelf of some of the best bars and restaurants in Metro Detroit. Soon, the company even plans to have their own Shrub tasting room in Corktown.

We caught up with Jess McClary and the McClary Cocktail Architect, Rudy Leon, at their amazing space at The Rust Belt Market to find out more about shrubs and the story behind them. Take a listen to what Jess had to say and check out the tasty drinks that Rudy created.

For more ideas on how to use McClary Bros. drinking vinegars, check out some great recipes here.
There is even a new drink in the works using Detroit's own Tequila Cabresto. To pick up your own bottle of McClary Bros., head over to the Rust Belt located at 22801 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. Or, like Jess hinted at, you may want to sign up to get a Mitten Crate in the mail! You just might get a bottle of McClary's along with some other flavorful Michigan treats!

~C