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Switchel

Drink containing vinegar and ginger From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Switchel
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Switchel, switzel, swizzle, switchy, ginger-water, or haymaker's punch (of uncertain etymology, but possibly related to "sweet"), is a drink made from water mixed with vinegar and often seasoned with ginger. It is typically sweetened with molasses, although honey, sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup may also be used.[1] In the U.S. state of Vermont, oatmeal and lemon juice were sometimes added to the beverage.

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Origins

Switchel is believed to have originated in the Caribbean, although New England also claims credit for its creation. It became a popular summer drink in the American Colonies in the late 17th century. By the 19th century, it was a traditional drink served to thirsty farmers during hay harvests, earning it the nickname "haymaker’s punch."[2] Herman Melville wrote in I and My Chimney, "I will give a traveler a cup of switchel, if he wants it; but am I bound to supply him with a sweet taste?"[3] In The Long Winter, Laura Ingalls Wilder describes a switchel-like beverage her mother sent for her and her father to drink while haying: "Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well-water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar, and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink until they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water would when they were so hot."

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Bottle and glass of a Brazilian switchel brand
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Modern recommendations

The Vermont physician D. C. Jarvis recommended a similar drink, a mixture of honey and cider vinegar, which he called "honegar."[4]

Contemporary popularity

Switchel is experiencing renewed interest and has become a steadily growing category in the ready-to-drink beverage industry. As of 2015, several companies produce and distribute switchel beverages throughout the U.S., and Canada has two commercial switchel producers.[citation needed]

Usage with alcohol

Switchel was sometimes mixed with rum, especially at sea,[5] and it was served in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it was "flavored with the finest Jamaica rum."[6]

See also

References

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