The roman drink mentioned is Posca, IT's made with red wine vinegar, honey, coriander, and water. It's very refreshing! In the bible a roman soldier offers Jesus "sour wine" which was long believed to be an insult but he was likely being offered Posca, which was extremely common for Legionaries to carry.
My grandmother would make switchel for the men baling hay in the summer. it really quenches the thirst and cuts through the "crud" in your throat you get from the hay dust. I still like it, and since we are starting to bale hay again after 30 years layoff, it will be in our fields again. Thanks for providing a tie to the 18th century-- now I can take it to events!
They probably would have assumed it meant someone was taking a switch to you, like a horse, to make you run faster. Bit more of a brutish meaning, that.
Switchel is alive and well in Vermont. I actually had my first switchel while helping to get in the hay before a threatening thunderstorm. That was many years ago, but until I saw this video I had forgotten how good it was, yes it cuts through the dust! Thanks again Jon.
I find it very interesting that the foods they made back then were also considered medicine. What is cool is that cinnamon and sugar, an age old spice mix is actually better for you than eating sugar alone. I think i read somewhere that it affects the level of insulin produced when your blood sugar rises, turning less into fat and more into directly usable energy
Very cool RobinToTheBatCave . You are welcome Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. . Do you go on the road at all? Are you familiar with the publication called "Smoke and Fire News"? If not, you should seriously think about advertising your website and videos there. I picked up a copy at the "Seige on Boonesborgh" re-enactment. Do you go on the road to events like this? I would love to meet you in person. Keep the awesome videos coming. You and Primitive Technology have become my favorites.
Michael Kirk you may also like a channel called AlmazanKitchen. the guy makes some amazing recipes with some unusual ingredients, and cooks it all over a wood campfire! very rustic but also modern cuisine, and it all looks delicious!
I went to college in Northern New York State, very near the Canadian border, and a friend of mine who lived locally made this for me one summer when I visited her house, which was a farm run by her father. She made it with maple syrup because her father tapped his own trees and made his own. She explained that after you'd been working hard in the hot summer sun, if you drank a lot of water it would "shock" your stomach and make you sick. Whereas Switchel could be drunk very cold in a larger quantity without making the person feel sick. So this drink is definitely still in use in some areas.
@@Salpeteroxid @Salpeteroxid Chugging a lot of cold water when working hard in hot sun can cause shock and be deadly at worst, or if lucky will only cause a person to feel sick and uncomfortable.
@@Salpeteroxid right, it's good to drink plenty of water everyday to stay hydrated. It helps with weight maintenance and general health. But we're not talking about normal water drinking throughout the day. We're talking about chugging a lot of very cold water quickly after spending time working in the hot sun. It can lead to shock, a heart attack, hypernatremia, all deadly. Rare and usually not something to worry about under normal curcumstances, but still something to consider and be wary of.
I love this channel. I loved history in school, I wish they taught more like this. I think children would learn a lot better with food and drinks involved. It's a great way to keep them involved and teach them about history.
I'd add a pinch of salt to it, just to balance the flavors and add some more electrolytes (especially if you're using honey). In Russia my grandma used to add extra apple cider vinegar to it, then cool it down to about 35F (at the bottom shelf of the fridge) then add some baking soda to make it carbonated. The exact proportions are somewhat a trial and error kind of thing, she would add some soda, taste it and add some more if needed, and so on. Grandpa added some vodka to it to help fight his hangovers :)
Russian sbiten: 100 gr honey 15gr clove,cinnamon,cardamon ,imbir( имбирь dont know like in English)laurel leaf + 1 litr water Boil 15 minits Drink hot Na zdorovie!
Sbiten is old russian drink Very good in cold russian winter In XIX cent ousted by tea (tea was cheap) Now sbiten regenerate Proportion on your taste I dont like very sweet like in XVIII cent You can + mint, currant leaf and even some peas of pepper
The vinegar isn't just there to be refreshing, but also because (even though they didn't know anything about microbes etc) because it would disinfect the drinking water. I did research of posca, the Roman soldier's drink (which is, in fact, very watered down soured wine/vinegar) and tried it out. Turns out that a teaspoon of vinegar disinfects a pint of water easily. This meant that the soldiers could drink a refreshing drink which was easy to carry (a small flask of vinegar could make a lot of posca when using a the local water), tasted vaguely of (sour) wine while not allowing the soldiers to get drunk on it (always an added bonus when dealing with large groups of heavily armed men) AND the men could now drink the local water without getting dysentry or what have you! Win - win.
Also read that soldiers often ate lentils in vinager as well. Plus they cleaned wounds with it, mixed it with sand for cleaning armour, so it was kind of good for everything.
Smallpotato1965 vinegar has many, many uses, not only for culinary, but, around the home and health issues! great stuff. I use to drink 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a large glass of water, but would have to use stevia to sweeten it. I did this before a meal to help aide in digestion. But, a person has to be careful if they are on blood thinner's since vinegar also thins the blood and can irritate the stomach..
Smallpotato1965 I learned as a kid (after a tonsillectomy) that salted vinegar water/dill pickle brine will coat and relieve the pain of a sore throat better than anything you can buy over the counter. Sipping works best, but gargling is good too.
I recently made this for my husband, and now he asks me to make it constantly, so he can take it to work. I make it with water, honey, lemon juice and powdered ginger. It's really good! Thanks for sharing this great recipe! :)
I've made this In the past and was telling my son about it today. I knew it had electrolytes, and couldn't recall the ingredients list precisely. Thank you for this.
I had this on in the background while cleaning. I realized i had all of the ingredients and decided to make it. It is better than I expected. In fact it tastes amazing. Not big on the vinegar smell, but you don’t taste it. Only took a couple minutes to make and now i have a couple mason jars full in the fridge. Definitely bringing this with me to work to stay hydrated.
I saw this for the first time today and made up half of a batch with molasses. On the first sip, I thought 'gee I should add more molasses'. Sip number 2 changed my mind. Very refreshing. Thanks!
Have been watching from Season 1 and have reached here in just a few days. I have shared your videos with my family and friends on Facebook as well. Very informative and well produced videos. You seem like a great guy, and I love the recipes and history that you show.
Excellent video, switchel is one of my favorite drinks! I believe the ancient Roman drink was called posca, and was typically made with water, vinegar or cheap red wine, and honey that was heated until well mixed. It has that strong vinegar smell but with a sweet and refreshing taste, and is very filling when you drink it with some bread after a hard day of work
Holy donkey butter! I could not have enjoyed this video more! Old timey beverage that looks fantastic AND some of the history behind it! What's not to dig about that? Thumbed up!
ive been drinking ASV and raw honey or light molasses..with raw graded ginger or lime for years.. on hot days.. working hard. it revives you.. glad to know i am not as crazy as ive been told while drinking this
in Pennsylvania it's called haymakers punch and a larger company the turkey hill company makes it for sale along with iced teas. they have multiple versions based on lemon aide, iced tea, cider and the planer version you showed.
Just so happened to have the blackstrap molasses from my brewing days, and powdered ginger and apple cider vinegar. Made a fresh jug of Switchel! Thanks a bunch for the recipe, Townsends. You NEVER disappoint.
Cooking for Historical performers I often made "Haymakers Switzle". The recipe was 1 gallon boiled water, cooled, 1 Cup honey, 1 Tablespoon of ginger (I preferred it fresh grated),and 1 Cup apple cider vinegar. It got overheated Civil War reinactors back on their feet in 15 minutes. The honey is easy to digest (single molecule sugar),provides energy and does not dehydrate the body. The vinegar is loaded with electrolytes , Ginger soothes nausea , and of course boiled water is safe to drink. Much better than that bottled stuff that makes you even sicker!
I always come here for a feel good when everything is else is going to crap. Thank you guys. And when our world does burn I know you guys will do just fine.
The spoon used in that berry mash was so beautiful.. I've made a vinegar and cranberry drink before, but the vinegar has to be very very diluted and very sweet to be palatable. This recipe looks very promising.
Pretty cool. Thanks for the recipe. I work in really hot weather during the summer time. We try everything here to stay hydrated. Water, Gatorade, pickle juice, coconut water. Anything. I will try this for our prolonged heatwave next week!
They make artificial sweetener with caffeine included now. I been makin jugs of lemonade with a dash of salt and like 15 packets of sweetener. Stuff hits like a mild seizure.
Love it! I carried ginger water to my dad in the fields during his planting/harvest time! I'll try it with the molasses! I just happen to have Bajan molasses. I drink this ginger cider vinegar honey drink often!! Thank you for sharing! 👍
I love this channel, great content and a very kind and charismatic host. Keep doing what you are doing, and i hope your hard work pays off with a popular youtube channel and plenty of ad revenue, you earned it :)!
I made a version of this all last summer but used a fruit vinegar I accidentally made when I pressed a fruit we call loquat in NZ where I am. One backyard tree pumped out about 20 buckets of fruit and so glad I blended and then pressed them out. It was a divine tasting cider but soured very quickly. It ended making the greatest Switchel.
Delicious! If you haven't tried it, I recommend using a raw, unfiltered cider vinegar, such as Bragg's. It's far milder and more flavorful than a regular cider vinegar, and is far more period appropriate!
I first heard of this drink years ago from one of my old fave books, A Northern Light and I remember stopping my reading for a minute and imagining how it would taste. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I just made this with agave syrup that I had lying around and it made a really nice light drink. I added a little pink salt to it as someone in the comments suggested and it turned out really good.
Great video! I am addicted ! Although I have just recently started watching and subscribed to your channel, I can't get enough. I haven't tried any of these recipes yet but I plan on it soon. It's interesting how people used to live, eat and drink from long ago and I'll try just about anything once....Thanks
I made it! ❤❤❤ I used about 1/4 less of the molasses and fill the rest of the half cup with honey (for it's properties). This drink really is quite good!
I just made and had a glass of this, I used honey instead of molasses, because of this my came out lighter in color than yours, but it is a most excellent drink. I taste like and apple juice with ginger added to it. And like others have said no one flavor over powers the other. They work well together to make a very good drink. Next time I will try the maple syrup blend.
When I was a kid, my mother would make something very similar - honey and vinegar in hot water - for us to gargle with when we had sore throats. I really liked it and would swallow it afterward - unlike my brother, who would always spit it out!
Remember if you want to potassium an extra minerals then use the molasses. Maple syrup has a different range of minerals but not so much potassium. Molasses also has Aaron in it. I find this interesting because are used to mix up a drink with apple cider vinegar, blackstrap molasses, water, and orange juice. I’m not sure why I did this, maybe it was instinct but it’s great in the summer
I love this recipe. I’ve been making this for when I work on the garden. It really gives the me the energy I need. It’s like homemade gatorade. Whenever I feel lightheaded when I stand up from gardening I’ll go in a make myself some of this and I instantly feel better.
I read the series, The Long Winter, was most interesting. Terms like: Spider Cake or Milk Pumpkin are explained in the other books Even though considered a children's book was a good read.
@@NotMykl Yeah. Laura made a pie plant pie for the thrashers when they came in from the fields and she forgot to add sugar to it and one of them said that he likes that he can add his own.
Fantastic to learn the history of this drink! I make something similar most days but without the sweetener and with added turmeric and sometimes bicarbonate soda or clove
I independently reinvented this, or something similar to it, using a 50/50 mix of filtered water and modern apple cider (sweet, unlike the old stuff), with a few squirts of lemon juice. I recently tried it with a bit of ginger juice too, and it's very nice. If I want to fancy it up a bit, I use club soda instead of filtered water; club soda has sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate in it too, so it has more electrolytes in it.
Glad you are doing this series. Many good drinks from before pop and Kool-ade. If you read Mark Baker's books on long hunters, these drinks were popular at social gatherings. Looking forward to more videos, thanks.
As a child I read the Laura Ingles Wilder book ( and yes I know you can't call her books biographies) in one of her books she said that she and her Ma took her Pa Switchel to him in the field between breakfast and "dinner" . If you are not aware of her books they took place in the mid 1800's
In the 'Middle East' area we drink LemonNana....which is Lemon and mint leaves tea. I tried a variation of the drink here using maple syrup, squeezed lemons, cinnimon, water and Tb. vinegar and some frozen berries, it was so good, thank you for the video.
That's odd. I can't find any records of any such person. It's also odd that the wikipedia page on swizzle sticks says they first appeared in 18th century rum plantations in the west indies. It says they were actually a small branch from a particular tree (possibly an allspice bush) used to make a "Rum Swizzle" cocktail. The "Swizzle Stick" name directly came from that tradition, it was a product crated in the 1930s. The name of the drink is another matter, though the page on "Rum Swizzle" even says the name of the drink may have come from switchel.
@@stephenborntrager6542 So is the rum swizzle cocktail the same or related to switchel, then? I wonder if the allspice might have been a replacement for the ginger.
My mom’s an ESL teacher who’s worked in various countries and brought home a “cure all” tea recipe from Pakistan that’s just diced ginger root, honey, and fresh squeezed lemon, with a little cinnamon and/or cayenne pepper (her addition). Lo and behold, I stumbled on an online recipe ages later on how to make “homemade Gatorade/PediaLyte”, and it was the same thing, but chilled. I think it’s wonderful both of those drinks are just variations of the older switchel, Posca, oxemel, etc.
You have some of the most brilliant videos I've ever seen on cooking. Please keep developing them. Don't worry about what the comment section says. If anyone thinks that your political, they're absolutely false. Let's not forget educational levels have decreased since the 1800s.
Because with the convenience of purchasing pop, sports drinks, juices, etc from stores on practically every corner, people unfortunately stopped making these old time and usually much healthier recipes.
This is good to see. Long ago (sometime in the late 1959s) when social studies classes were interesting, we had a text that focused on American life in the early 1800s. In one chapter, farm workers were regreshed with a drink called switchel--presented then as water and vinegar. It's good to know that there was more than that.
Thank you so much for this recipe of switchel. I learned tbis recipe from you a few years ago. I drink this all the time now when I'm gardening and it's a life saver. It picks me right up. ✅️
I made this recipe a few times already, it's delicious! I love ACV and ginger. I also made it with carbonated mineral water, that was also very good. Next time I'm going to try it warm and with maple syrup. It's a very nice drink and I enjoy the flavors.
I just made this (using unsulphured blackstrap as it's all I had) - and it's still absolutely delicious! I love your channel. Thanks for all the great vids.
My wife and I just LOVE your videos! You mentioned using honey in the switchel recipe, but for sweetening in other recipes you mention sugar or molasses much more often. Was honey not used quite as much in the 18th century? On a related topic, I wonder why we don't hear more about mead (honey wine or beer) from this period. I Brea and have found mead much easier to make than beer.
David Gurzynski I know in Colonial New England, molasses was brought up from the West Indies and distilled for rum. There were many distilleries in New England. Molasses was also a popular sweetener and added into foods like baked beans and brown bread.
This is great! My Nana used to make this for us when we were kids because we read about it in The Little House books. She just called it ginger water and we drank it in the summer until we just about burst, although she went kinda light on the ginger. Sometimes, she would add vanilla and soda water to make us some homemade ginger soda. YUM
I purchased a bottle of switchel concentrate a couple of months ago from a local cider mill. I’ve found that adding it to seltzer water (I use Polar, in a variety of flavors) is delicious and refreshing.
I love this drink and your channel so much! Thanks for sharing it with the world. I made this the other day, but I use twice the apple cider vinegar in mine, and I'm considering upping it even more. Maybe it's the New Englander in me. I'm amazed that the even the oldest, simplest things in life can be such a joy. You can sure add some bite to it if you add more ginger too. This will probably be replacing my red bull energy drinks from now on.
This man hosts the purest channel on all of TH-cam.
It's far too wholesome to be around the rest of this mire, and us.
Have you ever heard of The Crafsman?
Sorry that's actually "Running on empty food review" townsend is a close second
Seriously brother. Watching this man cooking up cherries and brandy in the woods is the best thing that has happened to me all year.
this dude and the one English heritage lady are the purest life forms
The roman drink mentioned is Posca, IT's made with red wine vinegar, honey, coriander, and water. It's very refreshing! In the bible a roman soldier offers Jesus "sour wine" which was long believed to be an insult but he was likely being offered Posca, which was extremely common for Legionaries to carry.
Thank you for that fascinating tidbit!
The "sour wine" I think was to help ease pain.
Fascinating, I bet the soldier is pissed now
Cody Carter and I
+Joseph Kim Yes, the wine was mixed with myrrh, which was widely used as an anaesthetic.
1776 colonists - "The British are taxing us too much"
George Washington - " Hold my swizzel."
Lmfao
Dan The Man because George Washington rebelled when the British taxed the colonists. 1776 baby!!
@Dan The Man what question
Fo shizzle
@Dan The Man it's a play off the "hold my beer" meme format, google it
300 years from now, there are going to be historians re-creating purple drank and bath salts.
scwt89 haha, no doubt!
Dude.......... I'm dead. This drink popular in the late 20th century was called Brass Monkey. It was one part OJ and one part malt liquor.
scwt89 lol recreating Red Bull
Dont forget Tide Pods
Don't forget orange drank
My grandmother would make switchel for the men baling hay in the summer. it really quenches the thirst and cuts through the "crud" in your throat you get from the hay dust. I still like it, and since we are starting to bale hay again after 30 years layoff, it will be in our fields again. Thanks for providing a tie to the 18th century-- now I can take it to events!
So have you been using it?
This is aka Haymaker’s Punch. There’s a great recipe here: th-cam.com/video/3JFgwM8wk8c/w-d-xo.html TASTY!
Odd, that switchel was called “haying water” in the fields of Illinois from about the time Illinois was first made a state.
I remember them making this in one of the Little House books, when Laura was helping with the haying
I remember the hay crud. And how parched I'd get. I tried chewing tobacco. That works but I wouldn't recommend it. I only tried it a few times.
Here at James Townsend and Son, we work hard, and we play hard! That's why we recommend Switchel! It's got what 18th century folks crave!
If you told me a week ago I'd be intrigued by 18th Century cooking I'd have laughed, but you've definitely sold me. Look foward to more videos
You mean a week and five years?
"Switch on with Switchel." - Imagining an energy drink advertisement in Colonial US 😄
Good call!
Qupid VOneOhOne "its got electrolytes"!
They didn't have electricity back then. I am not sure "switch on" had the same meaning back then as it does today. If it had a meaning at all.
They probably would have assumed it meant someone was taking a switch to you, like a horse, to make you run faster. Bit more of a brutish meaning, that.
Qupid VOneOhOne Be sure to swish your switchel.
Switchel is alive and well in Vermont. I actually had my first switchel while helping to get in the hay before a threatening thunderstorm. That was many years ago, but until I saw this video I had forgotten how good it was, yes it cuts through the dust! Thanks again Jon.
Please do more drinks and simple foods
I'll see what I can do.
Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. thank you for replying 😁
I agree
@@townsends And we'll see what you can do!
I swear this guy is the best host on YT!
Thanks!
I find it very interesting that the foods they made back then were also considered medicine. What is cool is that cinnamon and sugar, an age old spice mix is actually better for you than eating sugar alone. I think i read somewhere that it affects the level of insulin produced when your blood sugar rises, turning less into fat and more into directly usable energy
Very cool RobinToTheBatCave . You are welcome Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. . Do you go on the road at all? Are you familiar with the publication called "Smoke and Fire News"? If not, you should seriously think about advertising your website and videos there. I picked up a copy at the "Seige on Boonesborgh" re-enactment. Do you go on the road to events like this? I would love to meet you in person. Keep the awesome videos coming. You and Primitive Technology have become my favorites.
Michael Kirk you may also like a channel called AlmazanKitchen. the guy makes some amazing recipes with some unusual ingredients, and cooks it all over a wood campfire! very rustic but also modern cuisine, and it all looks delicious!
RobinToTheBatCave OMG U KNOW DAT CHANNEL TOO?
Me thinking the whole time: "Man, rum would mix great in this thing."
Jon at 3:14 "You can add your daily rum ration."
This!
I went to college in Northern New York State, very near the Canadian border, and a friend of mine who lived locally made this for me one summer when I visited her house, which was a farm run by her father. She made it with maple syrup because her father tapped his own trees and made his own. She explained that after you'd been working hard in the hot summer sun, if you drank a lot of water it would "shock" your stomach and make you sick. Whereas Switchel could be drunk very cold in a larger quantity without making the person feel sick. So this drink is definitely still in use in some areas.
Kate Wood Certainly true. If I'm doing hard work all day and perspiring a lot, if I only drink water I feel off.
I have never felt sick because of water, maybe little stomach ache if I down 0,5l of icecold water but never felt sick. I suggest you see a doctor.
@@Salpeteroxid @Salpeteroxid Chugging a lot of cold water when working hard in hot sun can cause shock and be deadly at worst, or if lucky will only cause a person to feel sick and uncomfortable.
@@KatarinaS. I am a heavy H20 drinker, 3l a day easy, never had any complications no matter what. But we are all individuals and different :)
@@Salpeteroxid right, it's good to drink plenty of water everyday to stay hydrated. It helps with weight maintenance and general health. But we're not talking about normal water drinking throughout the day. We're talking about chugging a lot of very cold water quickly after spending time working in the hot sun. It can lead to shock, a heart attack, hypernatremia, all deadly. Rare and usually not something to worry about under normal curcumstances, but still something to consider and be wary of.
The excitement in his face when he mentions the rum put a smile on my face
I love this channel. I loved history in school, I wish they taught more like this. I think children would learn a lot better with food and drinks involved. It's a great way to keep them involved and teach them about history.
I'd add a pinch of salt to it, just to balance the flavors and add some more electrolytes (especially if you're using honey). In Russia my grandma used to add extra apple cider vinegar to it, then cool it down to about 35F (at the bottom shelf of the fridge) then add some baking soda to make it carbonated. The exact proportions are somewhat a trial and error kind of thing, she would add some soda, taste it and add some more if needed, and so on. Grandpa added some vodka to it to help fight his hangovers :)
Bu
No kompot?
I think "Kvass" was the word you were looking for ;)
Stas Granin No, it's for sure kompot. Kvass is something else entirely.
Thanks for the suggestions. I drink reverse osmosis water at home and adding the salt is vital to keeping the mineral content in balance.
Russian sbiten: 100 gr honey 15gr clove,cinnamon,cardamon ,imbir( имбирь dont know like in English)laurel leaf + 1 litr water Boil 15 minits Drink hot Na zdorovie!
When searching for имбирь, Google showed me a picture of ginger root. =)
Yes, ginger And dont forget lemon
Thanks, it sounds really delicious.
Sbiten is old russian drink Very good in cold russian winter In XIX cent ousted by tea (tea was cheap) Now sbiten regenerate Proportion on your taste I dont like very sweet like in XVIII cent You can + mint, currant leaf and even some peas of pepper
15 gr each of all those spices?
I tried this with honey instead and really liked it!! (No molasses on hand.) I was amazed at how refreshing it was
Here in Northern NY my Grandparents called it Switch. Some of their living friends still talk about it. Very cool to see a video about this!
Max Miller brought me here. His video said that some folks use nutmeg instead of ginger and that, of course, is a Townsend signature spice
The vinegar isn't just there to be refreshing, but also because (even though they didn't know anything about microbes etc) because it would disinfect the drinking water. I did research of posca, the Roman soldier's drink (which is, in fact, very watered down soured wine/vinegar) and tried it out. Turns out that a teaspoon of vinegar disinfects a pint of water easily. This meant that the soldiers could drink a refreshing drink which was easy to carry (a small flask of vinegar could make a lot of posca when using a the local water), tasted vaguely of (sour) wine while not allowing the soldiers to get drunk on it (always an added bonus when dealing with large groups of heavily armed men) AND the men could now drink the local water without getting dysentry or what have you! Win - win.
Interesting.
Also read that soldiers often ate lentils in vinager as well. Plus they cleaned wounds with it, mixed it with sand for cleaning armour, so it was kind of good for everything.
Smallpotato1965 It also gets rid of strong salt tastes from deep aquifer water.
Smallpotato1965 vinegar has many, many uses, not only for culinary, but, around the home and health issues! great stuff. I use to drink 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a large glass of water, but would have to use stevia to sweeten it. I did this before a meal to help aide in digestion. But, a person has to be careful if they are on blood thinner's since vinegar also thins the blood and can irritate the stomach..
Smallpotato1965 I learned as a kid (after a tonsillectomy) that salted vinegar water/dill pickle brine will coat and relieve the pain of a sore throat better than anything you can buy over the counter. Sipping works best, but gargling is good too.
How did this man become so cool?! He's so peaceful and thoughtful. 🤘
I recently made this for my husband, and now he asks me to make it constantly, so he can take it to work. I make it with water, honey, lemon juice and powdered ginger. It's really good! Thanks for sharing this great recipe! :)
I've made this In the past and was telling my son about it today. I knew it had electrolytes, and couldn't recall the ingredients list precisely. Thank you for this.
I had this on in the background while cleaning. I realized i had all of the ingredients and decided to make it. It is better than I expected. In fact it tastes amazing. Not big on the vinegar smell, but you don’t taste it. Only took a couple minutes to make and now i have a couple mason jars full in the fridge. Definitely bringing this with me to work to stay hydrated.
My drink of choice when I get up to PA, MD area for 17 century reenacting.
I saw this for the first time today and made up half of a batch with molasses. On the first sip, I thought 'gee I should add more molasses'. Sip number 2 changed my mind. Very refreshing. Thanks!
Have been watching from Season 1 and have reached here in just a few days. I have shared your videos with my family and friends on Facebook as well. Very informative and well produced videos. You seem like a great guy, and I love the recipes and history that you show.
I love the introduction, hearing the history about some drinks.
I like this one. It's a nice, refreshing drink.
Getting my Switchel on till the break of dawn. Sounds great. I'm going to make this. Thank you! Love and light my friend.
Excellent video, switchel is one of my favorite drinks! I believe the ancient Roman drink was called posca, and was typically made with water, vinegar or cheap red wine, and honey that was heated until well mixed. It has that strong vinegar smell but with a sweet and refreshing taste, and is very filling when you drink it with some bread after a hard day of work
Holy donkey butter! I could not have enjoyed this video more! Old timey beverage that looks fantastic AND some of the history behind it! What's not to dig about that? Thumbed up!
ive been drinking ASV and raw honey or light molasses..with raw graded ginger or lime for years.. on hot days.. working hard. it revives you.. glad to know i am not as crazy as ive been told while drinking this
in Pennsylvania it's called haymakers punch and a larger company the turkey hill company makes it for sale along with iced teas. they have multiple versions based on lemon aide, iced tea, cider and the planer version you showed.
Just so happened to have the blackstrap molasses from my brewing days, and powdered ginger and apple cider vinegar. Made a fresh jug of Switchel! Thanks a bunch for the recipe, Townsends. You NEVER disappoint.
I just started watching these videos. I'm completely hooked! Fascinating!
Thanks for the great comment!
Cooking for Historical performers I often made "Haymakers Switzle". The recipe was 1 gallon boiled water, cooled, 1 Cup honey, 1 Tablespoon of ginger (I preferred it fresh grated),and 1 Cup apple cider vinegar. It got overheated Civil War reinactors back on their feet in 15 minutes. The honey is easy to digest (single molecule sugar),provides energy and does not dehydrate the body. The vinegar is loaded with electrolytes , Ginger soothes nausea , and of course boiled water is safe to drink. Much better than that bottled stuff that makes you even sicker!
kind of like Kombucha, since the ACV is already fermented. Love all these episodes!
I always come here for a feel good when everything is else is going to crap. Thank you guys. And when our world does burn I know you guys will do just fine.
The spoon used in that berry mash was so beautiful.. I've made a vinegar and cranberry drink before, but the vinegar has to be very very diluted and very sweet to be palatable. This recipe looks very promising.
The spoon is carved out of horn, and I think he sells them on his website.
Try using Japanese rice wine vinegar, which is less biting than vinegar that's made from apple cider.
Pretty cool. Thanks for the recipe. I work in really hot weather during the summer time. We try everything here to stay hydrated. Water, Gatorade, pickle juice, coconut water. Anything. I will try this for our prolonged heatwave next week!
"And now add 17 crushed up caffeine pills"
😄😂🤣
They make artificial sweetener with caffeine included now.
I been makin jugs of lemonade with a dash of salt and like 15 packets of sweetener. Stuff hits like a mild seizure.
Caffeine is extremely bitter, so be careful.
Love it! I carried ginger water to my dad in the fields during his planting/harvest time! I'll try it with the molasses! I just happen to have Bajan molasses. I drink this ginger cider vinegar honey drink often!! Thank you for sharing! 👍
I love this channel, great content and a very kind and charismatic host. Keep doing what you are doing, and i hope your hard work pays off with a popular youtube channel and plenty of ad revenue, you earned it :)!
I bet he gets all the women
I made a version of this all last summer but used a fruit vinegar I accidentally made when I pressed a fruit we call loquat in NZ where I am. One backyard tree pumped out about 20 buckets of fruit and so glad I blended and then pressed them out. It was a divine tasting cider but soured very quickly. It ended making the greatest Switchel.
Delicious!
If you haven't tried it, I recommend using a raw, unfiltered cider vinegar, such as Bragg's. It's far milder and more flavorful than a regular cider vinegar, and is far more period appropriate!
Bragg’s makes a bottled drink along the lines of this called Ginger Spice. They use stevia as the sweetener instead of molasses.
I first heard of this drink years ago from one of my old fave books, A Northern Light and I remember stopping my reading for a minute and imagining how it would taste. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I just made this per your recipe and I its quite interesting and refreshing. I clean houses and get really tired. Thank you for the recipe!
I just made this with agave syrup that I had lying around and it made a really nice light drink. I added a little pink salt to it as someone in the comments suggested and it turned out really good.
Great video!
I am addicted ! Although I have just recently started watching and subscribed to your channel, I can't get enough. I haven't tried any of these recipes yet but I plan on it soon. It's interesting how people used to live, eat and drink from long ago and I'll try just about anything once....Thanks
I made it! ❤❤❤ I used about 1/4 less of the molasses and fill the rest of the half cup with honey (for it's properties). This drink really is quite good!
I just made and had a glass of this, I used honey instead of molasses, because of this my came out lighter in color than yours, but it is a most excellent drink. I taste like and apple juice with ginger added to it. And like others have said no one flavor over powers the other. They work well together to make a very good drink. Next time I will try the maple syrup blend.
+mtman1849 Thanks for sharing your experiences, there are some very tasty substitutions you can make.
When I was a kid, my mother would make something very similar - honey and vinegar in hot water - for us to gargle with when we had sore throats. I really liked it and would swallow it afterward - unlike my brother, who would always spit it out!
Remember if you want to potassium an extra minerals then use the molasses. Maple syrup has a different range of minerals but not so much potassium. Molasses also has Aaron in it. I find this interesting because are used to mix up a drink with apple cider vinegar, blackstrap molasses, water, and orange juice. I’m not sure why I did this, maybe it was instinct but it’s great in the summer
+KatJaguar1122 Who's Aaron? And why is he hiding in my molasses?
@@Serai3 Sounds like he's in a "sticky situation" ;)
I made it this morning, with apple vinegar and with lemon. Both are good, but lemon is surely the winner. Very simple recipe and very nice result!
I just wanted you to know, I've been sharing your channel with all my homeschool groups :)
LOVE your channel & supplies, I only wish my budget did ;)
I love this recipe. I’ve been making this for when I work on the garden. It really gives the me the energy I need. It’s like homemade gatorade. Whenever I feel lightheaded when I stand up from gardening I’ll go in a make myself some of this and I instantly feel better.
This sounds like the "Ginger Water" Laura Ingalls Wilder describes in her book "The Long Winter".
I read the series, The Long Winter, was most interesting. Terms like: Spider Cake or Milk Pumpkin are explained in the other books Even though considered a children's book was a good read.
They mention switchel in the Little House books - I think because they were pro-Temperance.
That's exactly what it is!
@@puttingupwithmike5851 Do you remember 'pie plant' being mentioned? Pie plant is rhubarb.
@@NotMykl Yeah. Laura made a pie plant pie for the thrashers when they came in from the fields and she forgot to add sugar to it and one of them said that he likes that he can add his own.
Fantastic to learn the history of this drink! I make something similar most days but without the sweetener and with added turmeric and sometimes bicarbonate soda or clove
Ginger switchel is still one of my go-to drinks at home albeit with sparkling water.
I independently reinvented this, or something similar to it, using a 50/50 mix of filtered water and modern apple cider (sweet, unlike the old stuff), with a few squirts of lemon juice. I recently tried it with a bit of ginger juice too, and it's very nice. If I want to fancy it up a bit, I use club soda instead of filtered water; club soda has sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate in it too, so it has more electrolytes in it.
How do I make Skooma?
moon sugar
use 3grams of nutmeg in a very sweet drink. btw I do not recommend to follow my recommendation since too much nutmeg is poisonous.
Glenn Yokota meth, meth, and a heaping tablespoon full of meth.
Officially Unofficial Resembled heroin imo
Aventus Haaaahahahaha hohoho that's a good one MY boy! that's a good one! :"D
Fun and informative videos you do. HUGS and Blessings for ALL. Ty for sharing your thoughts and time with us ALL. GOD bless you ALL 👣🦋🌠🏞🌌⚱
Glad you are doing this series. Many good drinks from before pop and Kool-ade. If you read Mark Baker's books on long hunters, these drinks were popular at social gatherings. Looking forward to more videos, thanks.
As a child I read the Laura Ingles Wilder book ( and yes I know you can't call her books biographies) in one of her books she said that she and her Ma took her Pa Switchel to him in the field between breakfast and "dinner" . If you are not aware of her books they took place in the mid 1800's
"he's on the swish hard, Ricky"
Bravo!!!! lol..
ChobThomas *julian procedes to make out with the junkyard dog*
I got a whole barrel of swish I stole from Lahey and Randy
I am the Switchel.
ChobThomas it’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him, the swish will do that to ya
In the 'Middle East' area we drink LemonNana....which is Lemon and mint leaves tea. I tried a variation of the drink here using maple syrup, squeezed lemons, cinnimon, water and Tb. vinegar and some frozen berries, it was so good, thank you for the video.
I live in Connecticut and there are still people alive today who remember drinking switchel after working in the hayfields in summer.
James, this channel is a daily inspiration!
You guys are so great! I just found this show and I love it! This is so cool!
Thanks!
I'm constantly impressed with your videos and just can't get enough of them. Thank you so much for all that you do!
Just a thought... The little mixing sticks used for mixed drinks are called "Swizzle Sticks..." Could this be a reference to Switchel/Swizzle?
I had the exact same thought
Gregory Francis And? Of course it was created by someone, what invention wasn’t created by someone? That doesn’t mean it’s not a reference dumbass.
That's odd. I can't find any records of any such person. It's also odd that the wikipedia page on swizzle sticks says they first appeared in 18th century rum plantations in the west indies. It says they were actually a small branch from a particular tree (possibly an allspice bush) used to make a "Rum Swizzle" cocktail. The "Swizzle Stick" name directly came from that tradition, it was a product crated in the 1930s. The name of the drink is another matter, though the page on "Rum Swizzle" even says the name of the drink may have come from switchel.
@@stephenborntrager6542 I think old Greg is pulling our leg. No, I did not mean for that to rhyme, it's a bonus.
@@stephenborntrager6542 So is the rum swizzle cocktail the same or related to switchel, then? I wonder if the allspice might have been a replacement for the ginger.
Ol' Jim seems like a genuinely kind and good human being. I watch just for that a lot of the time.
Ivee also heard it called hay makers punch mostly by the old folk in upstate NY
it's amazing how the many recipies and foods of America has changed over the years!
Switchel: it's got electrolytes.
It's got what plants crave
Jared Pescarino love the smell of Brawndo in the morning
👍👍
@@jaredpescarino5269 what even are electrolytes
@@maxpulido4268
Fancy word for salt.
My mom’s an ESL teacher who’s worked in various countries and brought home a “cure all” tea recipe from Pakistan that’s just diced ginger root, honey, and fresh squeezed lemon, with a little cinnamon and/or cayenne pepper (her addition). Lo and behold, I stumbled on an online recipe ages later on how to make “homemade Gatorade/PediaLyte”, and it was the same thing, but chilled. I think it’s wonderful both of those drinks are just variations of the older switchel, Posca, oxemel, etc.
This would be a great drink after working out at the gym!
You have some of the most brilliant videos I've ever seen on cooking. Please keep developing them. Don't worry about what the comment section says. If anyone thinks that your political, they're absolutely false. Let's not forget educational levels have decreased since the 1800s.
ok... now I am confused as to why this isn't currently a household staple; can't wait to make some!!
Because with the convenience of purchasing pop, sports drinks, juices, etc from stores on practically every corner, people unfortunately stopped making these old time and usually much healthier recipes.
This is good to see. Long ago (sometime in the late 1959s) when social studies classes were interesting, we had a text that focused on American life in the early 1800s. In one chapter, farm workers were regreshed with a drink called switchel--presented then as water and vinegar. It's good to know that there was more than that.
Rum ration?! I want a rum ration lol
You......you can just buy rum.
And part of your wage in salt? ;)
There's a British press gang that would be happy to offer you a rum ration, Storytime626.
Join the British Navy in 1879, then.
@@roguishpaladin kind of weird how we pretend press gangs weren't basically small scale slavers.
I am absolutely in love with this channel. Thank you so much.
How in the hell could anyone dislike this!?
I like how naturally these productions are present- all of the stutters and pauses are left in. I dig it.
I make a similar drink using maple syrup, lemon, and red pepper. I guess I need to add ginger.
I truly don't understand down votes on this channel. Incredible history and production.
am I the only one who loves vinegar? it's so yummy!
apple cider vinegar is my go to drink on a lazy day.
i bet yer foot smells like vinegar
no... my sister loves it too... you're both completely Bonkers... but hey only the best people are. ;-)
you're
I prefer it as wine or cider, before the acetobacter do their work!
Thank you so much for this recipe of switchel. I learned tbis recipe from you a few years ago. I drink this all the time now when I'm gardening and it's a life saver. It picks me right up. ✅️
Why, this sounds like granny's spring tonic!
I made this recipe a few times already, it's delicious! I love ACV and ginger. I also made it with carbonated mineral water, that was also very good. Next time I'm going to try it warm and with maple syrup. It's a very nice drink and I enjoy the flavors.
That sounds much like the "sour wine" of the Roman legionaires
I just made this (using unsulphured blackstrap as it's all I had) - and it's still absolutely delicious! I love your channel. Thanks for all the great vids.
My wife and I just LOVE your videos! You mentioned using honey in the switchel recipe, but for sweetening in other recipes you mention sugar or molasses much more often. Was honey not used quite as much in the 18th century? On a related topic, I wonder why we don't hear more about mead (honey wine or beer) from this period. I Brea and have found mead much easier to make than beer.
David Gurzynski I know in Colonial New England, molasses was brought up from the West Indies and distilled for rum. There were many distilleries in New England. Molasses was also a popular sweetener and added into foods like baked beans and brown bread.
I just made switchel!!! It’s great. Go me! Go Townsends!!
Swizzle my nizzle, fo' shizzle.
Later on you need to pizzle!
This is great! My Nana used to make this for us when we were kids because we read about it in The Little House books. She just called it ginger water and we drank it in the summer until we just about burst, although she went kinda light on the ginger. Sometimes, she would add vanilla and soda water to make us some homemade ginger soda. YUM
This s is amazing! Better for you than that Monster energy crap
I purchased a bottle of switchel concentrate a couple of months ago from a local cider mill. I’ve found that adding it to seltzer water (I use Polar, in a variety of flavors) is delicious and refreshing.
This guy is pimp tight from 1776
I love this drink and your channel so much! Thanks for sharing it with the world. I made this the other day, but I use twice the apple cider vinegar in mine, and I'm considering upping it even more. Maybe it's the New Englander in me. I'm amazed that the even the oldest, simplest things in life can be such a joy. You can sure add some bite to it if you add more ginger too. This will probably be replacing my red bull energy drinks from now on.
17th century 30 year old boomer's favourite drink.
Many thanks for sharing your wholesome and refreshing videos!🙂