Give Vinegar A Shot

There’s nothing more on trend than a dose of the current wellness tonic: whether it’s cactus water, turmeric lattes, kombucha or now... Vinegar? Kate Wills finds out if it leaves more than just a sour taste.

- Kate Wills

For some years, inside the pristine store cupboards of those who exude “my body is a temple” vibes, there has stood a bottle that takes pride of place. At first glance, you might think it betrays frequent secret forays into fish-and chip-Friday territory, but apple-cider vinegar – ACV to those in the know – has not only graduated from a back-of-cupboard basic into everyday health-food fave, it’s also relocated from salad leaves to shot glass.

As wellness trends go, drinking vinegar seems a little difficult to stomach. But the idea of it as a digestive tonic has graduated from insider trick to mainstream bandwagon. Ever the early adopter, Victoria Beckham banks her two tablespoons first thing, singer Fergie prefers downing a shot and Katy Perry credits her ACV habit for never having had to cancel a live performance. Now, you know those people who lap up trends like they’re a cat going to town on a bowl of milk? Well, that’s me. I’m such a junkie for injectable vitamins that liquid chlorophyll is the only green juice I bother with – I even brew my own kombucha, for goodness sake. So during a week when I felt particularly run-down, I decided to give ACV a go. I mean, it has the word cider in it, how bad could it really be?