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Vinegar FAQs
Why are you called American Vinegar Works?
Our founder was a geography major in college (true story!) and is obsessed with place and products that reflect an authentic sense of place. The French call it terroir but we are not that fancy…
We are called American Vinegar Works because we only use quality American wines, ciders, beers, and sakes to make our vinegars. In this way, our vinegars build on the great work being done by the American craft alcohol community. Your local microbrewery was the inspiration for American Vinegar Works.
How is vinegar made?
Traditional vinegar is made by fermenting some type of alcohol—think beer, wine, cider, sake – into acetic acid. To make vinegar you need five key ingredients: alcohol, vinegar bacteria, oxygen, heat, and time.
Depending on the ABV (alcohol by volume) of the specific alcohol you may need to add water to dilute the alcohol. This is because when you get to a certain height in ABV the vinegar bacteria simply cannot operate and eat away at the alcohol to transform it into acetic acid or vinegar. This, by the way, is why your bottle of scotch will never turn into vinegar.
Over time and at the right temperature the vinegar bacteria will eat away at the wine or cider and turn into vinegar. Depending on the level of ABV, the environmental conditions, and the amount of vinegar you are trying to make this can take anywhere from two weeks to about six months simply to complete the fermentation. During this time you will see that a film, often thick, will form on top of the liquid. This is vinegar mother and is a byproduct of vinegar fermentation.
Better traditional vinegars are then aged for months to years after fermentation. This allows the vinegars to develop more nuanced flavor profiles and not just be acid bombs.
Reach out if you have any other questions on how vinegar is made.
Do you produce your own vinegar?
Absolutely. We ferment, age, and bottle all of our vinegar in our vinegar works in Massachusetts.
We know that even having to ask the question may strike some of you as crazy. But the modern food world can be a bit crazy. It is common practice for food companies to just be recipe and marketing companies. They come up with a recipe-- and sometimes not even a recipe—and then they go to larger centralized manufacturers called “co-packers” that actually make and bottle the products for them. As you can imagine this means foods are increasingly standardized and the “innovations” come in the form of marketing buzz and jazz hands instead of in the form of better foods.
As you might be able to tell this really bums us out both because it is misleading to consumers and because it leads to a bland standardization of our foods.
Mother always told us to “ Fight the vinegar industrial complex!” and we hope you will too.
Let customers speak for us
from 1188 reviewsI tried the Grilled Romaine recipe, and the vinaigrette was fabulous. Steve in Savannah
Next level products. The Red Wine Vinegar is something i can't seem to do without. You want this !
Peter
This is my favorite vinegar, it is zesty and complex, balanced and perfectly tart... makes any kind of salad taste amazing and gets me rave reviews for my coleslaw every time
I love this vinegar, and the others.
These products are very fresh, organic and has very refreshing tastes. Packaging is superb and I appreciate the handwritten note.
I'm a repeat/repeat/repeat customer and love your products!
I just received my second order, which I will be gifting to a bunch of my Holy Cross buddies. I taste tested my first batch of red wine, apple cider, sherry, and rice wine vinegar to what I was currently using and there was NO comparison. Threw the old stuff out. This is the best vinegar ever. My primary care guy, (originally from Worcester) is going to check it out as well, especially the cider vinegar. You are the best, and thanks for uplifting Worcester!
All for vinegars made wonderful vinegrettes, marinades and sweet/sour sauces. Only negative I can think of is they are very difficult to open!
The word "yummy" does not do these vinegars justice. While I just received them, I have tasted them all. I bought the Essential Vinegars 4 pack and added the IPA Beer Malt and the Rose Wine Vinegars. (I wanted the free shipping.) So worth it and as someone who cooks allot with fish and veggies and eats lots of salads, I don't think I could ever go back to "supermarket" vinegars. The fact that they are all raw and contain healthy probiotics is such a bonus. Gut health is so important to one's overall health. Having the best ingredients makes for the best meals. While they may be a bit more expensive than what you can buy in the supermarket, the quality is superior. I rarely eat out so I am happy to pay more for better quality ingredients that are also healthier for me. I also love being able to support a US company that is taking the time to make vinegar production a craft again while supporting their community.
My favorite apple cider vinegar ever. It's even excellent in cocktails and on roasted vegetables, but my favorite way to use it is in salads. Try it on an avocado, chickpeas salad. Wow!
After trying this vinegar, my daughter started cooking. Saying we all love it is an understatement.
All of the vinegars from this company are unbelievable!
I was in the food industry for 30 years. I have to say this is one of the best tasting products I've ever had. The vinegar with heat and honey is such top quality, I can't wait too keep trying the other products. Hats off to the creators.
This might be by new favorite flavor!
I do not know what culinary words to use in praising the blueberry vinegar....but it is luscious and I can actually use it on a salad alone, and of course, always a touch into a soup or stew...love all the American Vinegar Works products....and do not forget- low calorie count!!!