Dating to the colonial era, switchel might be the quintessential American drink. So what is it? It’s a combination of apple cider vinegar, ginger, water and a sweetener—commonly molasses, maple syrup or honey.
“Sugarcane molasses was probably the first switchel sweetener when the drink originated in the Caribbean,” says Emily Han, author of Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home (Fair Winds Press, 2015). “As the drink caught on in New England, folks often used maple syrup, which was their local sweetener. I also really like sweetening switchels with honey, because the flavor tends to be brighter, less overpowering.”
Also called “Haymaker’s Punch,” switchel was popular among 19th-century farm workers.
“Switchels are often referred to as the original sports drink…raw vinegar, molasses…
