Haymaker’s Punch (a homemade hydration drink)
Hannah was born on July 31st and the few days following her birth were actually quite cool. I remember walking our dirt road not long before her arrival and commenting on how thankful I was for a cooler day.
I think it was around 92 degrees that day.
The month of August, however, was a pretty hot one with most days right around triple digits. I really struggled to stay hydrated with the heat and nursing little Hannah. I am also in a constant state of worry about the rest of the family’s hydration pretty much from May through September. So I did some research.
Hydration is not just about water; minerals are critical to the equation. During the summer months I find drinking something with a bit of acidity and salt to it helps with hydration immensely. So when I came upon the basic ingredients for haymaker’s punch – vinegar, honey, salt, ginger – I dove right in.
It’s now our go-to hydration beverage and we can easily polish a gallon off at a sitting when we sit down to a pitcher of it as a family. Thankfully the heat broke this week and we have been enjoying 80-degrees and it is even raining as I type this. But this recipe is a keeper, even when the heat isn’t on.
Haymaker’s Punch
Ingredients
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
- 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Grate or slice the ginger into a gallon jar. Add the other ingredients and fill jar with water. Stir or cover with a water-tight lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are dissolved. Serve chilled or over ice, if desired.
Hello fellow Texans! I just found your website and have only read a few posts, but I can already tell I’m going to love it. 🙂 I will try this Haymaker’s Punch as an alternative to Gatorade-type drinks.
I, too, make our own hydration drink. I add coconut water to ours to add potassium and to get a lemony flavor that also adds iron, I put ground stag horn sumac berries. Staghorn Sumac grows wild here in AR and probably in TX too. We are fortunate to have our own hives so we put honey in just about everything. I hope life is getting back to your new normal with the new baby.
Mrs. Ingalls made this for Pa and Laura in the first chapter of “The Long Winter,” by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Thanks for the recipe!
We started making haymaker’s punch after we read about it in one of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We like ours best with seltzer water! I suppose if you used club soda you could omit the salt.
I’m assuming it does not need to be stored in the fridge? How long do you think it would last on the counter in an AC house? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
In summer when plain water seems lacking, this is such a wonderful and easy drink to make that can really make the difference . It is also sometimes called “Switchel”.