One way to make your cocktail hour unique, whether entertaining at home or at a large celebration like a wedding, is to offer a signature cocktail. It might seem overwhelming to choose from thousands of recipes but using a simple syrup or shrub can really elevate the flavor and make a memorable cocktail.  Simple syrup companies have been a trend in the specialty food industry for several years now. Companies like Maine’s Royal Rose and California’s Sonoma Syrup Company offer wide varieties of flavors and many creative cocktail recipes on their sites.  They use organic ingredients like fruits, herbs and cane sugars to make the syrups in small batches. Liber & Co, a company based in Austin, Texas is crafting small batches of shrubs. Shrubs are concentrate tonic made by preserving fruits, botanicals and sweetened vinegar. Shrubs were commonly used in Colonial America, derived from the preservation of fruits and are now making a revival. In cocktails they work like a citrus when a recipe requires a bitter sour taste. Not only will your cocktails be tasty but the bottles & labels of these companies make for a beautiful bar. -Lynn Butler Beling

Here’s one to try courtesy Sonoma Syrup Company: