Torched

Developing a shrub habit can get expensive, with the fruity, vinegar-based sodas often running $4 or more a pop. Local startup company Burly Beverages makes a variety of all-natural drinks for the health conscious, including bottles of shrub syrups ($11 for eight ounces). Simply mix an ounce of the stuff into seltzer water, and you’ve got a fancy shrub soda. I like the grapefruit brulee flavor, accented by vanilla bean and two types of vinegar. Burly sugars and torches the grapefruit, which mellows out the bitterness. The result is sweet, bright, refreshing and—if you do the math—a bargain. http://burlybeverages.com.