Today, I’m excited to share with you how to make early American drinks that are perfect for your 4th of July celebrations! These beverages are also mocktails since they are non-alcoholic drinks.
So be sure to have some of these refreshing beverages handy this weekend for your festivities with family and friends, and let me wish you a very happy, healthy, and blessed Independence Day this 4th of July!
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Table of Contents
Early American Drinks
During the 18th century in the United States, colonists enjoyed a variety of homemade drinks. Two beverages, in particular, were very popular:
These drinks are easy to make with ingredients you are sure to have on hand in your pantry. They come together in minutes and can be poured into a tall, ice-filled glass for a refreshing and flavorful treat!
What is a Shrub?
When it comes to early American drinks, the Shrub has such a funny name! But this beverage is actually very tasty and nothing like a twiggy garden bush.
A Shrub drink is a simple mixture of:
- Fruit puree
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Water (And to make it really special, you can use sparkling water.)
Plus, if you use raw apple cider vinegar, a Shrub can become a probiotic-rich drink that’s excellent for improving our gut flora.
Shrub Drink Recipe Videos
In the following recipe videos below, I show you how to make two different Shrub drinks:
You and your Independence Day guests are sure to enjoy these tasty mocktails!
What is a Switchel?
Like a Shrub, a Switchel is another humorous name for one of the most popular early American drinks. In many ways, this beverage is a forerunner of the modern-day sports drink. Farmers would often enjoy a Switchel at room temperature while working in their fields.
You can make a basic Switchel beverage by mixing apple cider vinegar with water and molasses. And that’s it! Making a Switchel is even easier than making a Shrub.
Don’t worry if you don’t like molasses. You can easily substitute a different sweetener, like honey or maple syrup. And if you have sorghum syrup stashed away in your pantry, you can use it to sweeten your Switchel, just like the early American colonists often did when they didn’t have any molasses.
Switchel Drink Recipe Video
I show you how to make this beverage in my Switchel recipe video. And after you have created your basic Switchel mixture, pour it over ice and add a spring of mint or a slice of citrus. Voila! You’ve made a delightfully refreshing mocktail.
Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe Video
When making Shrub and Switchel drinks, you’ll need some apple cider vinegar. Raw is best, and in the following video, I show you how easy it is to make your own raw apple cider vinegar in this 3-part series.
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More Drink Recipes
If you enjoy making these early American drinks, check out the videos below where I show you how to make more homemade beverages, including your own electrolyte powder for quickly creating an easy and healthy sports drink.
Plus, I share how to make more drinks, including homemade ginger ale and strawberry soda!
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Recommended Reading
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
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- Nourishing Traditions
- The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of “American Cookery,” 1796
- The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy: The Revolutionary 1805 Classic
- The City Tavern Cookbook: Recipes from the Birthplace of American Cuisine
- City Tavern Baking and Dessert Cookbook: 200 Years of Authentic American Recipes From Martha Washington’s Chocolate Mousse Cake to Thomas Jefferson’s Sweet Potato Biscuit
- A Taste of History Cookbook: The Flavors, Places, and People That Shaped American Cuisine
- Sweet Taste of History: More Than 100 Elegant Dessert Recipes From America’S Earliest Days
I watched your Strawberry Shrub video this morning and was inspired. I had some Nectarines still on the tree. So I pulled them and used a couple of the ripest ones to make a Nectarine and Ginger shrub. I’m letting it sit in the refrigerator for a while to meld the flavors. Can’t wait to try it. Quick question: In the video you mixed the shrub with sparkling water. Have you ever used Tonic Water? If so, how did that taste?
Hi Clarisa,
Your Nectarine and Ginger shrub sounds delightful! How did it turn out?
I haven’t tried mixing tonic water into my shrubs, but a shrub is a base that you can add a variety of liquids to. If you try tonic water out, please let me know if you notice a significant taste difference.
Thanks for being a viewer and a sweet friend!
Love and God bless,
Mary