By Kristen Thompson
Food Connects onboarded an exceptional group of new producers this past year. Each is doing something different to contribute to our growing regional food system. Rodrigo Vargas, Founder and Owner of American Vinegar Works in Worcester, MA, looked at the American craft alcohol scene and saw an opportunity to use these brews to create truly unique and delicious vinegars in a way that would benefit his community. We had a chance to learn from Rodrigo about American Vinegar Works’ story, values, and the process of making artisanal, small-batch vinegar.
How was American Vinegar Works started? What was its inspiration?
Truly it started with a good drink (or three...). Vinegar is made by fermenting alcohol. I was spending a lot of my weekends visiting local cideries and breweries and doing further afield trips to wineries. I was struck by how absolutely diverse and flavorful the American craft alcohol movement had become. But at a loss to explain how we could have great American alcohol and such uninspired American vinegars. American Vinegar Works was my answer and we now make over 12 slow-fermented, barrel-aged vinegars that stand on the shoulders of the craft American alcohol movement. Vinegars with a real sense of place.
What makes your products unique?
There are two things that make our vinegars unique from a flavor perspective. First, we only ferment with American wines, ciders, and beers to produce vinegars with a real sense of place. Our process is also pretty unique. We partnered with two universities in New England to rebuild a special vinegar-making machine from the early 1800s. It was high-tech back then but industrial vinegar makers have moved on to faster, cheaper vinegar-making processes, and these machines went out of fashion and out of production. We rebuilt them because we believe they make the best vinegars and are super proud to be on the cutting edge of this "retro-tech" revival.
Can you tell us more about your approach to crafting vinegar?
We don't rush it. Our vinegars slow ferment and, after fermentation, age for several months. At a minimum, it takes 6 months between when a keg of beer walks into the works and a beer malt vinegar 'walks' out. We also never ferment any alcohol we wouldn't drink at our dinner table—the better the wine, the better the wine vinegar.
What is your favorite part of making vinegar?
I love that I can make decisions that reflect our values and priorities. This is both about making vinegar—selecting a slower process, better ingredients, etc.—but also about how we run as a company. We chose to renovate an old mill building on the National Register of Historic Places. We run on 100% renewably sourced electricity. All of our bottling is done by hand by adults with developmental disabilities. The decision-making behind each of these choices has operational, economic, and fairness considerations. Making vinegar gives me the opportunity to make each of these decisions in a way that I can be proud of and to create a company that I believe is additive to my community.
What is one of your favorite recipes you make with your products?
Vinaigrettes or salad dressings are certainly at the top of the list but I also like making less expected things like cocktails or fondues. We actually have a list of recipes on our website and add new ones every month.
Why is buying and selling locally and the local food movement important to you?
For me, it is for two reasons. It lets me support and build the community I want to live in. And, more randomly, I was a geography major in college and am obsessed with the idea of a sense of place. I want our vinegars to reflect where they are from.
How does working with Food Connects help your business/what are you excited about in this partnership?
Like any other small business, we are completely dependent on introducing our vinegars to new customers. Food Connects helps us bring our vinegars to customers that really care about food, flavor, and their communities. We really believe customers will love our vinegars when they try them and value that Food Connects is helping us get that message out.
Any events coming up or fun facts about your business/products?
We finally have enough production capacity to release new vinegars regularly. We have several "Nano Batch" vinegars in the works for this year that are already aging and are just fantastic. Keep an eye on our monthly newsletter for updates!
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I've written a lot about the "why" and "how" of American Vinegar Works. Those things are really important to us. But what makes our vinegars truly outstanding is that they taste fantastic. We produce complex vinegars with balanced flavors that are so much more than acid. We hope Food Connects customers appreciate what we stand for as a business but we want them to try and buy again because our vinegars are standouts for chefs and home cooks.
