American Vinegar Works at Madeline's

American Vinegar Works is a small-batch vinegar maker founded in 2019 by Rodrigo Vargas in Worcester, Massachusetts. Vargas noticed that while New England had a deep bench of craft breweries, cideries, and wineries, grocery shelves were stocked mostly with mass-produced or imported vinegar. He set out to make vinegar the slow, old-fashioned way, fermenting exclusively with American wines, ciders, and beers so each bottle carries a real sense of place.

The production is deliberately low and slow. The company ferments and ages its vinegars for several months, with a minimum of about six months between when a keg of beer enters the works and a finished beer malt vinegar comes out. To do it, Vargas worked with two New England universities to rebuild a vinegar-making machine modeled on early-1800s designs that industrial producers abandoned in favor of faster, cheaper methods.

The range spans wine vinegars (red, Chardonnay, rosé, sherry, tarragon, quince), apple cider vinegars including single-orchard and fruit-infused versions, beer malt vinegars made from IPA, porter, and Octoberfest brews, a honey wine vinegar, a maple cider vinegar, and California organic extra virgin olive oil. Curated four-packs and sampler sets make it easy to taste across the lineup. Everything below is bottled in small batches.

American Vinegar Works products at Madeline's

Every item below is live and in stock at Madeline's. Click any product to see full details, sizes, and ordering.

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  Original Honey Wine Vinegar ($13). A vinegar fermented from honey wine (mead), with a round, gently sweet character. Good in dressings and for finishing roasted vegetables.

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  Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar ($13 to $38). A barrel-aged red wine vinegar with depth and brightness for vinaigrettes, marinades, and braises.

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  Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Wine Vinegar ($13 to $38). A crisp, delicate Chardonnay wine vinegar meant as a brighter alternative to champagne vinegar.

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  Pink Pacific Rosé Wine Vinegar ($13 to $38). A light, floral rosé wine vinegar that suits summer salads and quick pickles.

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  American Barrel California Sherry Vinegar ($13). A barrel-aged sherry-style vinegar with nutty, savory notes for dressings and pan sauces.

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  Tarragon Wine Vinegar ($13). A Chardonnay wine vinegar infused with tarragon for an anise-forward, herbaceous lift in French-style dressings and chicken dishes.

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  Quince & Chardonnay Wine Vinegar ($13). A Chardonnay vinegar with quince for a fragrant, lightly fruity sweetness.

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  California Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar ($13 to $38). A rice wine vinegar made from junmai sake, clean and mellow for dressings, sushi rice, and dipping sauces.

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  Apple Cider Hot Vinegar ($13 to $38). Apple cider vinegar with chili heat, made for splashing over greens, beans, and braised meats in the Southern tradition.

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  19.53 Miles From The Tree Apple Cider Vinegar ($13 to $38). A single-source apple cider vinegar named for the short distance from orchard to works. Bright and clean.

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  Cranberry Apple Cider Vinegar ($13). Apple cider vinegar with New England cranberry for a tart, fruit-forward note.

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  Wild Blueberry Apple Cider Vinegar ($13). Apple cider vinegar infused with wild blueberry, good in dressings and shrubs.

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  Maple Cider Vinegar ($13). A cider vinegar made with maple, produced as a collaboration with Runamok. Round and lightly sweet.

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  IPA Beer Malt Vinegar ($13 to $38). A malt vinegar fermented from IPA, hoppy and bright. A craft-beer take on the fish-and-chips classic.

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  Porter Beer Malt Vinegar ($13 to $38). A darker malt vinegar from porter, with roasted, malty depth.

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  Octoberfest Beer Malt Vinegar ($13). A seasonal malt vinegar fermented from Octoberfest-style lager, toasty and balanced.

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  Extra Virgin Olive Oil: California Organic ($29). A California-grown organic extra virgin olive oil to pair with the vinegars for dressings and finishing.

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  Explore Kitchen Vinegars Four Pack ($51). A curated set of four full-size kitchen vinegars for cooks who want to range across styles.

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  Essential Kitchen Vinegars Four Pack ($51). The everyday workhorses in one box, covering the core vinegars a kitchen reaches for most.

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  Cider Lovers Vinegar Four Pack ($51). Four apple cider vinegars together, spanning the plain and fruit-infused versions.

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  Essentials Plus Vinegar Sampler Size Pack ($33). Sampler-size bottles of the essential vinegars, a low-commitment way to taste the lineup.

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  Apple Cider Vinegar Sampler Size Pack ($33). Sampler-size bottles across the apple cider vinegar range.

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  Oil & Vinegar Sampler ($55). A pairing set of vinegars with olive oil, built for dressings and gifting.

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  Oil & Kitchen Essential Vinegars Set ($75). The largest set, combining the essential kitchen vinegars with olive oil for a full pantry start.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy American Vinegar Works?

You can buy American Vinegar Works online at Madeline's (madelines.co), which carries the maker's wine vinegars, apple cider vinegars, beer malt vinegars, olive oil, and sampler sets. The products listed above are live and in stock.

What makes American Vinegar Works vinegar different?

The vinegars are fermented exclusively from American wines, ciders, and beers and aged slowly, with a minimum of about six months for the beer malt vinegars. The maker rebuilt a vinegar-making machine based on early-1800s designs to produce them the old-fashioned, labor-intensive way rather than the fast industrial method.

What are beer malt vinegars used for?

Beer malt vinegars like the IPA, Porter, and Octoberfest are a craft-beer take on traditional malt vinegar. They are classic with fish and chips and fried foods, and also work in marinades, slaws, and pan sauces where you want a malty, bright acidity.

Who founded American Vinegar Works?

American Vinegar Works was founded in 2019 by Rodrigo Vargas in Worcester, Massachusetts, with the goal of making high-quality regional vinegars from New England and American craft beverages.