In my time as recipe editor for Edible Michiana, one of my favorite things to do has been to look at old cookbooks to better understand how people lived locally, long before it became the hip thing to do. Before modern railroads and highways, people didn’t have access to year-round citrus and other out-of-season produce. This pushed their creativity and wiliness to use what they had to make meals feel festive and fresh.
I found this recipe in a cookbook that is almost 120 years old. This Spring Tonic was described as a “cheap drink” and a “substitute for lemonade.” I was intrigued by this. While I don’t see how it compares to lemonade (it is in no way sweet!), I am curious how it would taste on a sunny spring day over ice.
My philosophy is to look at our past to understand how people lived and ate in our region before they had access to affordable lemons all winter. This drink reminds me to push the limits of what I think is possible with seasonal food, to try new things and to live as locally as I can. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 32 ounces sparkling water or tonic water, chilled
- 4 tablespoons drink mix (see ingredients above)
- 4 shots bourbon, optional
Instructions
Serves 4
Fill 4 8-ounce glasses with water, then strain 1 tablespoon of chilled drink mix into each glass. Mix together, and add the bourbon if desired. Serve.
Remaining drink mix can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks and is enough to mix 12 more cocktails.
