We first heard of them, and heard them, on one of our favorite Public Radio (listener- and taxpayer-funded, thank you citizens of the USA) podcasts here:

Up with Switchel, Herman Melville’s Energy Drink

When we heard, at the end of the conversation with these entrepreneurs, that Melville was a switchel drinker, or at least that he mentions it in one of his books, we started thinking about a new 51 signature beverage. Melville, of course, knew a thing or two about sailors. And 51 is located within the property of Spice Harbour which, in a previous lifetime, was a “chummery” for ship captains coming in to Fort Cochin harbor.

Chummery, in Indian English from an earlier era, is akin to saying “boarding house for chums (male friends, buddies, guys what have you)” so it seems plausible that a captain who knew the drink switchel from a Caribbean or North American port of call might have once introduced this drink in the biggest harbor on the Malabar Coast. Even if none did, we will. In doing so, we salute our fellow entrepreneurs, and Melville, and the sailors. Also, we like what we read About them (the Vermont guys):

In 2012 Ely Key and Garrett Riffle began brewing in Ely’s gramma’s old red barn (top left) in South Londonderry, Vermont. After much hard work finding the best fresh ginger, raw organic apple cider vinegar, and Vermont maple syryp around, they perfected the recipe and Up Mountain Switchel was born.

Switchel began in the mountains of Vermont hundreds of years ago and back then they had to use powdered ginger. Fast-forward to today, and Ely and Garrett reinvented this age-old recipe to be the healthiest sports/energy/health drink there is. It has a kick, without the caffeine, and has a vast array of health benefits.

After perfecting the recipe Ely and Garrett uprooted from Vermont and moved production to Brooklyn, NY. They moved into a kitchen in Bushwick (bottom left), added a few members to the Switchel Squad, and began bringing the goodness of Switchel to the masses. Made to help people stay on the go and refreshed, Switchel is fitting right into NYC life.