The Black Drink Bungle

Hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago, early North Americans were producing and drinking a truly unique beverage. Made principally from the leaves of a native tree, the drink was more than a caffeinated source of antioxidants. It grew to become the hub of social and communal gatherings, in a way that would be familiar to many modern denizens of cafes and teahouses. For some of its early drinkers, it even became part of sacred rituals.

Today, Black Drink is all but a mystery. Its disappearance is all the more enigmatic (and scandalous) because it is a beverage that 100 million Americans could be making, in one form or another, with a common tree practically growing in their front yards.

But there’s a group of tenacious foragers, entrepreneurs, academics and enthusiasts that would like to see an end to the whitewashing of Black Drink—or at least give the tree responsible for so much buzz a chance at new recognition.

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