A tropical twist on a 19th-century elixir is one of the ways to drink up the summer.
Pineapple-Limeade Switchel
Switch Doctor
“I came across the switchel recipe, made it for myself and was blown away by how good I felt,” says Chris Dunning, who co-owns the Alexandria-based Switch Doctor. Dunning, who suffers from gastrointestinal issues, says he’s “always looking for natural remedies.”
The year-old company uses a switchel recipe from the 1800s with a base of apple cider vinegar, ginger, turmeric and maple syrup and this summer will release a new flavor: pineapple-limeade made with freshly squeezed citrus. // Del Ray Farmers Market (Saturdays), Alexandria; Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Sundays), Alexandria
Clemonade
MurLarkey Spirits
Now that Virginia distilleries can serve full-sized mixed drinks (1.5 ounces of booze), tasting rooms have turned into micro cocktail bars. The most popular drink at MurLarkey Distilled Spirits is the Clemonade: lemon-infused whiskey shaken with simple syrup and served with club soda over ice. Ask for a float of the distillery’s new blueberry whiskey for a drink called Purple Rain or a strawberry whiskey topper for Strawberry Fields. // Bristow
Polarisation
Barnhouse Brewery + Loudoun Brewing Company
Barnhouse Brewery, reopened earlier this year after a renovation and expansion, is reprising its citrusy Polarisation collaboration IPA with fellow Leesburg brewer Loudoun Brewing Company. The hazy, hoppy mash-up will be on tap at both breweries. // Barnhouse Brewery, Leesburg; Loudoun Brewing, Leesburg
2014 Meritage
Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards
Cellar alert: Winemaker Michael Shaps sold all 124 cases of Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards’ 2014 cabernet sauvignon, which this year beat nearly 500 wines for the state’s top bottle title, a first for a Loudoun County winery. Luckily, he made more of the winery’s other 2017 Virginia Governor’s Cup gold medalist, a 2014 meritage with smoky chocolate notes, aged 18 months in new French oak. Bottles won’t last, so buy it this summer, but wait a few years before opening. // Hamilton
