Brightland Zeal vinegar review: A new ramp vinegar

Written by Monica Petrucci, kitchen editor and longtime home cook who has years of product testing experience.

Updated March 21, 2022

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Spring is (finally) in full gear, and we're getting our homes, wardrobes, and pantries ready to celebrate. And Brightland is joining in on the seasonal fun.

The olive oil brand just launched Zeal, a limited-edition ramp vinegar to add to its existing line of trendy fermented vinegars to kick your spring recipes up a notch.

What is Brightland?

On left, two bottles of Brightland olive oil on white countertop. On right, Brightland Founder Aishwarya Iyer sitting on a white counter surrounded by Brightland products — Credit: Brightland

This AAPI-owned brand of sustainably sourced goods (in beautiful, display-worthy bottles) comes from founder Aishwarya Iyer, who launched Brightland in 2018 after ditching a career in tech, venture capital, and startups. Since then, the brand has been recognized and applauded by the likes of Self and Food & Wine, among countless others.

After trying out Brightland's olive oils for ourselves, we loved its high quality ingredients, unique flavors, and handy pour spouts—but it also didn't hurt to see that the bottles that had been designed by fashion designers and artists, making them the perfect centerpiece at a dinner parties.

Plus, all of Brightland's ingredients are sourced from carefully selected family farms in California and are made without fillers or artificial preservatives, so you can feel good about pouring every drizzle.

We tried Zeal—here’s how it tastes

A bottle of Brightland's Zeal vinegar surrounded by spring flowers. — Credit: Brightland

Launched promptly at the dawn of the spring season, Zeal is a fermented vinegar made with ultra-seasonal ramps, a rare allium plant (think: a cross between scallions and garlic) that has a short and precious growing season in the beginning of spring. Like all other ingredients, Brightland sources these ramps with mindfulness; they're sustainably foraged (by hand) in the Shenandoah Valley, a collaborative project with Virginia-based Lindera Farms.

After trying Zeal for ourselves, we can confirm that this vinegar has springtime written all over it. It's bright and pleasantly acidic with hints of shallots and garlic that are savory and versatile. It's great with anything from roasted veggies and simple salads to a good crusty piece of sourdough. Brightland even recommends adding Zeal to cocktails like bloody marys, martinis, and gibsons. And we're not here to argue—what better way is there to toast to springtime?

Get a 200mL bottle of Zeal from Brightland for $28

You’re on your way to becoming a kitchen master. Take the next step and sign up for Chef's Course. You’ll get weekly tips, tricks, and recipes from top chefs sent straight to your inbox. It’s a whole master course for free.