Sip Dram Apothecary Switchels to Boost Your Immunity

Shae Whitney has been foraging botanicals from Centennial State wildlands for almost a decade, transforming the bounty into sparkling waters, syrups, and bitters for her Salida-based craft beverage brand, Dram Apothecary. Now, she’s out to turn Coloradans on to “switchels”—“a historical blend of water, ginger, apple cider vinegar, and either honey or maple syrup,” Whitney says. “Farmers have been using them since the 1700s to rehydrate after long days in the fields.” Akin to the original Gatorade, these tangy, not-too-sweet drinks—which Dram began selling as canned sparkling beverages, in alpine berry and ginger-cinnamon, in March—are both tasty and loaded with health benefits. “Vinegar is a bioavailable form of electrolytes and potassium,” Whitney says, “and vinegar and honey are great for immunity and gut health.” Even better, Dram’s berry-flavored bubbly switchel contains elderberry, which some studies have shown can shorten the duration of colds and flus. With 25 milligrams of stress-relieving hemp CBD per can (which cost less than you’d pay for a pint), you’ve got an old-made-new elixir that’s arrived just in time. $54 per 12-pack