If you're anything like me, your most recent purchase of apple cider vinegar was likely a component of a dubious cleanse or health program. In the expectation that the murky brown liquid would counteract the negative consequences of excessive decadence, I purchased a bottle of Bragg's, the gold standard for neo-hippie purity tonics.
Numerous YouTubers and TikTok users are participating in the #applecidervinegarchallenge, grimacing as they sip a shot or two of the vinegar every day for a week or a month while they record the purported physical changes for their followers.
In other words, instead of being something you seek for because it tastes delicious, ACV is frequently something you (reluctantly) drink because it's supposed to be healthy for you. But ACV is much, much more than just its online image as a detox tonic and super-fuel for weight loss. The globalization of apples and the evolution of fermentation are both integral to the history of ACV. ACV is an ingredient that, in America, reflects the colonial settlement of the frontier, the transition from home-cooked to processed goods, and the transformation of an alcoholic background into a wholesome legacy.
The present trend for the ACV treatment has a relatively recent history, despite the fact that vinegar (of all kinds) has been used as an antibacterial, a cleaning agent, and a therapeutic digestive tonic since antiquity.
You could even manufacture your own apple cider vinegar by starting with a bottle of hard cider to take your shrub research to the next level. Or you can start from scratch by producing your own cider using apple juice, winemaker's yeast, or wild-harvested yeast. Perhaps you'd like to coferment some herbs, flowers, or other fruits with your ACV to give it some funk.
What do you think of apple cider vinegar? Share it with us, we would love to learn and feature you! Tag us @purelydrinks on IG!