Gourmet ACV Blends

These are the apple cider vinegars worth putting on the table rather than keeping under the sink. All raw, all unfiltered, all with the mother, and all made from real pressed cider rather than reconstituted juice.

What makes a cider vinegar gourmet rather than generic

Three things. The cider it starts from, which for us is pressed from New England apples. The fermentation, which is slow rather than force-aerated. And whether it survives the bottling process intact, which means no pasteurizing and no filtering. Most supermarket cider vinegar fails on at least two of the three, which is why it tastes thin. There is a fuller comparison in why small-batch vinegar tastes better.

The range

Beyond the salad bowl

Cider vinegar is underused. It cuts fat in pork and roast chicken, sharpens barbecue sauce, makes a fast quick-pickle, and turns into a shrub with nothing more than soda water. More than just salad vinegar covers the range, and Alabama white sauce is the recipe that converts people.

Common questions

  • Is the cloudiness a problem? No, it is the mother, and it means the vinegar was not filtered or pasteurized.
  • Can I use these for cleaning? You could, but it would be a waste. Use distilled cleaning vinegar instead. See the difference.
  • Which first? The plain 19.53 Miles, then the maple.

 

Try all four cider styles in the Cider Lovers Four Pack, or the mini-bottle cider vinegar sampler. Free shipping over $85 in the contiguous US.