What is Switchel? You may not have heard of this somewhat hard to pronounce drink because it was first made popular in the 19th century but of late, it is making a comeback! Switchel is a refreshing drink made of water, cider vinegar, ginger, and some kind of sweetener – usually molasses or maple syrup. Farmers used to sip on this in the fields hundreds of years ago, but I first discovered this beverage at a local juice bar. I was excited to try it because unlike Kombucha, Switchel is free of live bacteria and carbonation. View Kim’s delicious Switchel recipe.