1736 Birch

Profile & Story

Only wine in the United States made from the sap of a birch tree. This colonial-era treat was brought to the New World by Dutch and Belgian farmers who settled in the Hudson Valley in the mid-1600s. It would take another century before they would have apples or grapes to grow. But they loved to drink. To make wine, they went into the woods in the spring and tapped birch trees. You can drink the slightly sweet sap directly from the tree. To boost the sugar content high enough to make a wine-strength drink, they added raisins, which they could get in bulk from Europe (the trip took too long for fresh fruit). By the early 1700s, the method had spread to Virginia, where the eventual first First Lady Martha Washington would make her own version. Martha was born in 1736, so we know our recipe is older.

Pairing Recommendation

Martha Washington served Birch wine before dinner to stimulate the appetite.