Hydrate with Switchel: The Recipe For A Classic Drink

By J Herman

If you’re looking for a cool drink on a hot day, an age-old drink called switchel just might be the recipe for you.

Switchel was the drink that hardworking farmers would use to quench their thirst after work in the hot, sweaty fields. It’s also known as Haymaker’s Punch based on that association. You can make the drink yourself with just a few simple ingredients, the main of which is cider vinegar, which has many health benefits.

Image: www.almanac.com

The following recipe was found in the archives of The Old Farmer’s Almanac and paraphrased by me.

To make switchel, you’ll need:

– 1 gallon of water
– 1 and a half cups of molasses
– 1/3 cup vinegar
– 1 tablespoon of fresh ground ginger

You can use a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey if you’d like to skip out on the molasses. Be sure to start out with less sugar as you can always add more. If you’d like to keep it traditional, you won’t want to have too much sugar in it anyways as it should refresh you, not coat your mouth as sugary drinks do.

Another tip is to add a teaspoon of fresh lemon or lime juice. That’ll give it a nice kick.

Enjoy!

Jesse Herman is a contributing staff writer for REALfarmacy.com, where this article first appeared. He writes and produces video at PowerfulPrimates.com. Jesse began his alternative health journey after chronic back pain and has not looked back since. Follow him on Youtube and Facebook (also more Facebook), broadcasting out of Brazil, Florida, and in a dark distant cave (with internet).