A brown vinegar made from malted barley that has been brewed into ale and then fermented into acetic acid. It has a robust, slightly sweet flavor with malty undertones and is traditionally paired with fish and chips.
From Old English 'mealt' (grain softened by steeping) and Old French 'vinaigre' (sour wine). Malt vinegar production began in Britain during the medieval period as a way to use surplus ale, becoming deeply embedded in British culinary culture by the 18th century.
Malt vinegar is essentially beer that's been allowed to 'go bad' in the best possible way - the same Acetobacter bacteria that brewers fear actually creates the complex, malty flavors that make this vinegar irreplaceable with traditional fish and chips! The brown color comes from caramelized malts, not added coloring, and the vinegar retains trace amounts of the original ale's proteins and amino acids.
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