This probiotic drink with maple syrup may even be a hit with the kids!

Last Updated on August 27, 2024 by Michelle

So I’m a new fanatic of probiotic drinks, but this one–this electrolyte probiotic yumminess–is my favorite. Forever. And bonus: If you’re looking for an all-natural alternative to soda for young ones around your table? Using maple syrup in drinks for kids has a lot of advantages. Read on for my favorite maple drink recipe and long lists of reasons you really should try this drink today.

Thousands of years ago Hippocrates said that “all disease begins in the gut.” Hmmmm, he was kinda a genius.

Dietitians and food scientists today all tout the importance of a healthy gut. And this drink, as delicious as it is, crazy enough is a hard worker too that impresses all of those experts as well as a lot of people here in my own kitchen. Because maple switchel replenishes electrolytes (like gatorade, but all-naturally) and encourages gut health (like Hippocrates was talking about) it’s a great recipe to try today.*

What is “switchel”?

Switchel is an all-natural, probiotic energy drink that’s been around for centuries. 

Switchel, also known as “haymaker’s punch” or “ginger water,” was a homemade electrolyte-filled drink long before Gatorade was ever concocted in a lab. Because it is a  fermented drink that contains apple cider vinegar (along with water, a natural sweetener, and a flavoring like ginger root), some feel it’s a bit of an acquired taste. But I loved it from my first introduction to it. It’s startlingly refreshing and down right yummy. And—bonus!—your kids might love it as an alternative to sugary sodas and juices.

While it does pack an extra punch of nutrition if you can make it with fresh maple sap, if you don’t have maple sap, no sweat. Switchel is great with plain-old water.

When Ma Ingalls made it for Pa at harvest time she of course didn’t have any maple sap. Remember reading about Ma’s ginger water in The Long Winter? Guess what! That was switchel! Laura wrote,

“Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well-water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar, and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink till they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water would when they were so hot.”

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links.

Why I love it

While homemade, all-natural soda gives us a delicious carbonated drink, it doesn’t boost our gut health.

Everyone’s talking these days about good gut health. And the more I read about it, the more I was convinced that I needed to do something to encourage good gut health. I mean my gut is home to trillions of bacteria (good and bad), surely doing something to make sure those numbers are tipped in my favor will make a difference in my overall health, right?

So I searched out a friend with a spare scoby (although you can buy them) and started my first ever kombucha. And I found a giant jar perfect for housing it all on my counter. (Heck, you can even buy the whole kit in one place.) And I cleared a few things in a corner of the counter to make room for my new kitchen addition. And I looked up recipes for kombucha. And I made a trek to the store for some special ingredients. And I ordered special jars to hold my delicious fermented concoctions. (Whew! That was kinda exhausting.)

And now I wait.

EDIT TO ADD: Fast forward two years now and I have been making kombucha every single day since that very first batch. I can’t imagine life without a glass of this delicious, gut-friendly, carbonated treat every day. While I still enjoy making maple switchel, kombucha is a love of my life. Once I worked through lots of questions and perfected lots of issues I was having, simply because I didn’t have anyone teaching me how to do it, homemade kombucha is the easiest, best thing I do in my kitchen. For real. If you want to know more, you really want to go here.

But unlike kombucha, maple switchel is instant gratification. Well, kinda. (Keep reading.)

So while I wait on my kombucha, I thought I’d share my recipe for maple switchel with you today.

If you wanna know more about how to make perfect DIY kombucha, though, go here.

Of course one reason I love maple switchel is that it’s an extra treat–and extra boost of antioxidants!–if I make it with fresh maple sap during sugaring season. Sadly, all sugarmaking wrapped up here a few weeks ago. Even more sadly, we wrapped things up early, with a week or two left of flowing sap, because maybe someone burnt a pan over the fire. Cause maybe someone left it unattended. And then maybe someone went out and bought a new pan. And then maybe someone burnt the new pan. Just hypothetical of course. But we did boil down almost 11 gallons of maple syrup this year, so I’m pretty happy, even if I do have a few hypothetically burnt pans.

If the thought of tapping trees and making crazy delicious all-natural sugar intrigues you, you’d enjoy this post about how we make maple syrup here on our homestead, step-by-step.

If you want to try tapping a tree, check out this list I’ve put together, after many years of research, of 31 trees that can be used for sugarmaking.

If you like anything about maple, click here–or on the image of the book–to instantly read or download my totally free, no-strings-attached ebook, Maple Goodness. 

Or maybe you’d be interested to know that you can make your own all-natural maple sugar–right in your own kitchen–from maple syrup that you purchase (if you don’t have any plans to tap trees)? This post lists ten reasons maple sugar is the best sweetener you can use (not to mention my favorite).

But back to switchel… What I love about switchel is that it’s a fermented drink that doesn’t require a scoby or kefir grains. In fact, almost everyone has exactly what they need to make switchel right there in their kitchen all the time. And—huge bonus!—it offers almost instant gratification. Well, okay, in 20 minutes from start to finish. It’s a lot faster than the current kombucha batch that’s been sitting on my counter for a week and still not ready.

Take a second to subscribe for my weekly-ish note from our homestead. Because simple joys require hard work, my goal is always to encourage you in a simple joy you may like to read about or pursue for yourself today. As soon as you subscribe, you can access, download, or print out any of my many ebooks, but especially One Sweet Switchel.

It almost sailed into obscurity.

Of course it’s not just me touting the awesomeness of this stuff. Fact is, switchel has been rapidly gaining in popularity since some folks declared it an “up and coming” sensation a few years ago in a little natural products expo in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Yep, tucked away quietly in the same little harbor where Francis Scott Key worried that our beautiful flag would never be seen again, this sweet little drink that our grandfather’s loved centuries ago started flying high in popularity once more. And to think that it almost disappeared into obscurity! I sure am glad it didn’t!

But let me know if you agree. If you try this recipe for maple switchel, please reach out to me on facebook,or instagram and tell me what you think. I have a few daughters who don’t care for it at all, but it truly is one of my favorite drinks. So I’d love to know what your family decides!

By the way, if you try your hand at making some switchel and, like me, you hate to throw away the ginger when it surely still has more “life” in it, try what I do. I boil the used ginger for 10 more minutes in a cup of water. I strain out the ginger, steep a tea bag in the water, add lemon juice and maple sugar to taste, and enjoy a perfect cup of lemon ginger tea.

I should say, any drink that’s sweetened with maple is a good choice, given that all-natural maple sweeteners are the healthiest sweetener you can choose. I explain the science behind syrup in a recent podcast episode (see below, and be sure to follow on your favorite podcast player, all linked right here). I love sweetening my tea with a little chunk of maple sugar, and maple lemonade is truly the best way to drink lemonade. Ever. (The you-really-gotta-try-this recipe for maple lemonade is right here.)

Got syrup?

Need a good source to purchase delicious, all-natural maple syrup?

If I didn’t have my own sugarbush this is where I would be buying my syrup. This family-run sugarhouse makes some amazing all-natural syrup. Use code SOULYRESTED and save $$$.

So what’s the big deal about probiotic drinks?

The list goes on and on of reasons we should ingest all-natural probiotics to improve our health. To name a few, natural probiotic drinks can:

reduce anxiety and depression.

enhance our immunity to disease.

brighten our skin and improve acne.

improve digestion.

boost energy.

help with weight loss.

So what’s the big deal about electrolytes?

Yet maple switchel doesn’t just introduce natural probiotics into your diet, it also offers you electrolytes!

If I’ve just run a marathon (ha, yeah right), had a bad cold, or had to take certain medicines, my electrolyte balance will be off. Anyone who’s had this problem might constantly:

feel thirsty

have frequent headaches or nausea

be extremely fatigued

Once electrolytes are replenished, all those symptoms improve. If you choose to replenish electrolytes by drinking a Gatorade, you’ll also be downing a ton of sugar and calories. But if you choose to do this with a Maple Switchel, you’ll be filling your body with a whole lotta good. First off, you’ll get your electrolytes because both the maple syrup and the apple cider vinegar are naturally loaded with potassium-rich electrolytes. But then consider all the rest of the amazingness you’ll get from every ingredient… just read on…

And watch this fb live video for more info about this yumminess:

The lowdown on maple switchel

If we look at each ingredient individually, it’s really quite crazy just how amazingly good this drink is for us. And this list isn’t even considering the huge extra bonus this drink will offer during sugaring season if you use fresh maple sap to make your switchel! Bonus, if you happen to have the added luxury of sap ice forming in your buckets (or all around the buckets, as ours did a few extra cold days this year) toss a piece into your switchel.

•  Ginger

It’s crazy y’all just how good ginger is for you. First of all, it’s a natural inflammation reducer. Might not sound like a big deal, right? Until you realize that most diseases have inflammation as their root cause. And, hello, skin problems, muscle pains, and digestive issues often develop because of inflammation issues? Seriously? Who knew that adding fresh ginger to our diet could wind up clearing up acne, warding off tons of diseases, reducing our need for popping pain medicine, and helping our gut?

Next time you feel a headache coming on, skip that ibuprofen and mix up some switchel instead!

•  Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, one of the most common household items in every kitchen, is like a miracle drug. It’s loaded with potassium, magnesium, and probiotics. It balances your pH levels and serves as a tonic for your liver and lymphatic system while literally detoxing your body. And crazy enough you can even make your own DIY apple cider vinegar from apple scraps, nonetheless! My friend Jill, over at The Prairie Homestead, gives you the full scoop right here.

•  Maple syrup

Because maple syrup is made from tree sap, it’s not processed like refined cane sugar is. It’s literally tree sap that is collected, boiled, and bottled. That’s it. Thanks to it’s all-natural state, maple syrup is loaded with antioxidants and minerals. If you need to buy some maple syrup, I highly recommend this this is where I would be buying my syrup. (Use code SOULYRESTED to save $$.) I also love this sample package of different grades of syrup. (What an awesome gift!)

You’re not gonna find any of the above in a bottle of gatorade you grab off a convenience store shelf. Not even close. So I hope you enjoy this unique drink and all of its therapeutic properties! It truly is one of the most inexpensive ways—definitely the most delicious way—you can get your fill of probiotics today.

So keep scrolling for the recipe!

* Please note, I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, nor would I ever claim to be. (Ha! Anyone who knows me, knows I couldn’t fool you if I tried.) This post is simply a collection of facts I have garnered over the years and a summary of my own personal experiences. I just felt like I should get that off my chest, probably thanks to all those years I worked with a bunch of lawyers who loved any reason for legal language.

Maple Sap Switchel Recipe

Ingredients

8 cups of maple sap (or tap water is delicious as well)

4 Tbsp grated ginger

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

• Heat 2 cups of sap.
• Remove from heat and steep the ginger for 20 minutes.
• Strain out the ginger and mix in remaining sap (or water), maple syrup, and the apple cider vinegar. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled.

Folks say it can last for weeks in the fridge, but I wouldn’t know. I mean how could someone let this yumminess just sit for weeks? I can only testify that it lasts very well for a whole day in the fridge. Once. Between myself and my gingerale-loving daughters, this stuff is usually gone as quickly as I make it.

Other drink recipes you’ll love:

Homemade all-natural Soda!

Maple Apple Cider (in the crockpot!)

How to Make Maple Kombucha

How to Make Maple Sugar

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“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

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