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Switchel, switzel, swizzle, switchy, ginger-water or haymaker's punch is a drink made of 
The
How To Make Traditional Switchel (Haymaker's Punch)
American drinks Caribbean drinks Non-alcoholic drinks Vermont cuisine Vinegar {{nonalcoholic-drink-stub
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
mixed with vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...
, and often seasoned with ginger. It is usually sweetened with molasses, though honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
, sugar, brown sugar
Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar.
Brown Sugar may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul
* ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...
, or maple syrup are sometimes used instead. In the U.S. state of Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
, oatmeal and lemon juice were sometimes added to the beverage.
Switchel debatably originated in the Caribbean, but New England also holds credit as the source of switchel, and it became a popular summer drink in the American Colonies in the late 17th century. By the 19th century, it had become a traditional drink to serve to thirsty farmers at hay
Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticat ...
harvest time, hence the nickname haymaker's punch. Herman Melville
Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are ''Moby-Dick'' (1851); ''Typee'' (1846), a rom ...
wrote in '' I and My Chimney'', "I will give a traveler a cup of switchel, if he want it; but am I bound to supply him with a sweet taste?" In '' The Long Winter'' Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the '' Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...
describes a switchel-like beverage that her mother had sent for Laura 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 till they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water would when they were so hot."
The Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
physician D. C. Jarvis recommended a similar drink (a mixture of honey and cider vinegar), which he called " honegar".
Switchel is experiencing a renewed interest and has become a steadily-growing category in the ready-to-drink beverage industry
The drink industry (or drinks industry, also known as the beverage industry) produces drinks, in particular ready to drink products. Drink production can vary greatly depending on the product being made. ManufacturingDrinks.com explains that "bott ...
. As of 2015, there are several companies that produce and distribute switchel beverages throughout the US. Canada has two commercial switchel producers.
It has also been used in recent years as a base in alcoholic cocktails, or as a mixer.
See also
*Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph ...
* Posca
Posca was an Ancient Roman drink made by mixing wine vinegar and water. Bracing but less nutritious and palatable than wine, it was typically a drink for soldiers, the lower classes, and slaves.
Etymology and later elaborations
The word ''posc ...
* Shrub (drink)
In terms of mixed drinks, shrub is the name of two different, but related, acidulated beverages. One type of shrub is a fruit liqueur that was popular in 17th and 18th century England, typically made with rum or brandy, and mixed with sugar and t ...
* Sekanjabin
Sekanjabin ( fa, سکنجبین), one of the oldest Iranian drinks , is made of honey and vinegar. Sekanjabin is usually served in summer. It is sometimes seasoned with mint.
Name
''Sekanjabin'' is a compound of "vinegar" and "honey", tran ...
References
External links
How To Make Traditional Switchel (Haymaker's Punch)
American drinks Caribbean drinks Non-alcoholic drinks Vermont cuisine Vinegar {{nonalcoholic-drink-stub