Like many others, my connection with vinegar began as a love of other fermented and distilled beverages. First it was an attraction to wine as I challenged myself to learn all I could about vintage, appellation, and varietal. Next, I leveraged my proximity to Kentucky bourbon distilleries to gain an appreciation for distilling and aging grain-based spirits. Appreciation may be too light of a word to describe my involvement with bourbon considering I eventually became manager of a craft distillery and spent two decades learning from some of the best producers and enthusiasts in the world. From there I branched into other spirits like gin, armagnac and mescal. After moving to one of the craft brewing meccas of the United States I was able to add plenty of experience with beers to my portfolio of interests.
As I have gotten older, my interest in alcohol has diminished as I have become more conscience of my health and less patient with secondary markets driving prices of middling offerings through the roof. But for me, it was always less about the intoxicating effects of a drink, and more about the intertwining of science, art, history and culture. I love industries where the best in the business have to be able to get their hands dirty while also calling up a combination of on-the-job learning and extensive academic knowledge.
Vinegar has been the natural next progression in my interests and has been one of those things where the more I learn (and taste), the more I want to explore. When I worked at the distillery, we would often joke that beer was just whiskey that wasn’t finished yet. Now, I have taken that further seeing all alcoholic beverages as potential vinegar sources.
Vinegar has it all when looking for a product you can be passionate about. It has a rich history going back thousands of years. Its production draws heavily on biology and chemistry but is also simple enough anyone can make it at home (even accidentally). High quality vinegar is being made by producers that have hundreds of years of history behind them and also from burgeoning craft vinaigriers pushing the limits of what is possible. In terms of diversity, even at modest grocery stores most people can access everything from a syrupy balsamic to an umami packed black vinegar to a pleasant fruit based offering. And then there are the health benefits!
Sure, most people aren’t going to order a flight of vinegars while visiting a local producer or host a tasting event like you would with beer or whiskey or have a sip from their favorite bottle after a long day (although I’ve done all these things), but this speaks to the versatility of vinegar rather than the limitations. Vinegar has the ability to offer the je ne sais quoi to a dish that really makes it pop. It can transform a cocktail in ways most can’t imagine. And, yes, it can enjoyed straight.
For many who come to this site, the love of vinegar only makes sense, but what about the name?
In his excellent book Vinegar: The Eternal Condiment, Reginald Smith says, “There is no official term for lovers of vinegar like oenophile is used for wine lovers, though balsamic vinegar graders in Italy are commonly known as ‘acetophiles.” Perhaps one day this term will be more common place.”
Whelp, here we are.