by Micky Ellenbecker, Purchasing Assistant
Mad Maiden Janet Chen is the founder and owner of MadMaiden Shrub and has been making drinking shrubs in Madison for more than 10 years. We are honored to feature Janet for the month of May, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month! Thank you so much, Janet!
I think there is still some confusion about what drinking shrubs are exactly. Can you explain for those who might be new to the world of shrubs?
It is derived from the Arabic word “sharbat,” which is a drink made from sugar and water. A “shrub” is a concentrated syrup made with fruit and apple cider vinegar, and it adds a flavor punch to both cocktails and mocktails. The basic equation is to add one part shrub to five parts sparkling water, juice, tonic, or any other beverage of your choice. Shrubs are primarily seen on cocktail menus, and bartenders use them as seasonal offerings in winter months when fresh fruit is not available or as a non-alcoholic beverage option. Some of my customers like to make their favorite cocktails with a sour twist using a shrub. My product is less sweet than other cocktail syrups, so it can also be added to juice.
What’s the origin story of Mad Maiden Shrub?
The beginning came from a media article and from a very talented person. The media article was from the New York Times, where two of my friends had read about ginger shrubs. I made a honey ginger shrub for the first time from that article. The very talented person was Leah Caplan, who helped found Death’s Door Distillery and is someone who could see what someone needed to fulfill a potential. Leah went on to connect me to Cricket Design to help with the branding process. Branding felt like a makeover, but really it was just plain good branding. The words of the brand had more than one meaning and all applied: Mad-Made in Madison; Mad impulsive; Mad different; and Mad fake angry.
We offer your mainstay flavors, Cranberry and Honey Ginger, at all three of our stores. Where do you source your ingredients for these flavors?
The Honey Ginger now has a little more ginger bite, but not too spicy. The organic Peruvian ginger is sourced through Blue Fortune Farm, a local garlic farmer who imports ginger. The honey is from Gentle Breeze Orchard based in Mt. Horeb, WI.
Sourcing of apple cider vinegar and cranberries has not been as consistent, partly because I have not figured out how to do that yet. But also as an added-value producer, I cannot solely depend on one farm if they don’t have a full crop. I still need the potential to scale up. I do buy up on local apple cider vinegar from Turkey Ridge Farm when it’s an option.
How has creating your products at the FEED Kitchens influenced your business?
Initially, I started out in Sons of Norway kitchen doing everything by hand, but FEED Kitchens allowed me to scale up without getting my own space or having to use a co-packer. At FEED Kitchens I can use their equipment to sanitize, make large batches, and use their industrial appliances. It took a long time to investigate and adjust things. When I started, I did not have enough experience to be a good team member nor be a good client. Being a user at FEED Kitchens allowed me to explore options, learn about changing customer needs, and plan some flexibility for those needs. It helped clarify what I do not know and to avoid false overconfidence. Years later, renting a shared kitchen elsewhere or trying to find a co-packer is a possible option for me.
What is your favorite shrub application(s) or recipe(s)?
A fruit flavored drink with my Honey Ginger Shrub provides ginger edges, such as Peach-Ginger kombucha, Apple Ginger Shrub, or Watermelon Shrub. The honey and apple cider vinegar is acidic, so the subsequent drink feels like it is beginning to ferment but it’s non-alcoholic. First, start with Peach kombucha or watermelon juice or fresh apple juice. Add some sparkling water to fizz it and cut the sweetness. Use 5 parts mixture of fruit juice, tea and/or sparking water to 1 part Honey Ginger Shrub. A low alcohol variant of that is Moscato Punch. Start by mixing Moscato with seltzer or buy a Moscato Asti. Use 5 parts Moscato Asti to 1 part Honey Ginger Shrub. Garnish with lime and orange wheels.
And just for fun, when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I fit into a scanner category: people who don’t necessarily know what they want but jump from thing to thing. In the process of investigation, clues and pieces reveal sequence, empowerment, ethical behavior. Sounds like a White Witch. Now I want to be an old lady martial artist. Similar. Different. And neither.
