Haymaker's Punch (Vegan)
also known as switchel or ginger water, is a traditional rehydrating tonic prepared from ginger, molasses, and apple cider vinegar. It tastes sweet and acidic with a fiery, spicy edge thanks to the ginger. Haymaker's Punch was a popular soft drink during the 18th and 19th centuries. Exhausted by heavy physical labor and hot summer weather, farmers and sailors would drink Haymaker's Punch to help hydrate and re-energize their worn bodies. It was so popular and so essential to the laboring class that ships regularly stocked the ingredients for long voyages. An average 19th-century U.S. Navy ship typically preparing for 6 months at sea typically carried close to 900 gallons of each molasses and vinegar, for the making of switchel among other uses.
