switchel

Switchel, also known as 'haymaker's punch,' is a non-alcoholic drink of water, cider vinegar, ginger, and a sweetener (traditionally molasses, honey, or maple syrup). It became popular in colonial New England and the wider Northeast in the 17th-19th centuries as a thirst-quencher served to farmers during hay harvest, because it would not shock an overheated body the way cold water could. In Vermont in particular, oatmeal and lemon juice were sometimes added, and the drink is enjoying a craft revival there today.