Witchy Winter Wellness Potion

Winter is the time for experimentation in the kitchen. It’s cold, very cold, especially here in Rockaway and we’re spending more time in the house. My friend Jacquie has been using her hibernation time perfecting a wellness tonic. For Christmas, she gifted me a bottle of this fire cider. Homemade gifts are especially thoughtful and that’s exactly what Jauquie had in mind. When I thanked her for the gift she said,  “I wanted to make my gifts for xmas this year. For me, health and wellness are always top of mind, because of Covid obviously, but also I feel most thankful for my health every day and wanted to share that with my girlfriends.”

Jacquie has been reading a few books on herbal remedies that her friend Noreen Mulvanerty (creator of Omyst Spray) gave her and that started her exploration for this concoction.

Potion prep! Photo by Jacquelyne Walther.

I absolutely love this drink and I asked Jauquie for the recipe and if I could write about it. She said, “Of course, share the wellness!” There are countless versions of her recipe. It’s based on an old folk remedy. The main ingredient is an herbal tonic known as oxymel. The word “oxymel” is Greek, meaning acid and honey. The drink is an immune booster with all the good stuff –  lemon, ginger, and garlic, aka “poor man’s penicillin.” All of the ingredients are loaded with antioxidants. Horseradish is a power player, dandelion is a good source of vitamin C and A. Jacquie recommends getting high-grade honey.

I have a one-ounce shot every morning. The vinegar jalapeño combo wakes you up! I also pour a small glass in the evening sometimes and enjoy it as a mocktail nightcap. Adding an olive embellishment makes you feel like you’re sipping a delicious sweet and sour martini.  Also… I’m not sure if the witch doctress would approve… I used it as salad dressing once! This drink is FIRE, any way you choose to use it! Give it a go!

Jacquie’s Witchy Winter Wellness Potion

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
Sprig of rosemary
1 cinnamon stick
1/2  jalapeño
1 small onion
1 lemon juice and zest
1/4 cup honey
Ginger and garlic to taste (recommending two inch pieces of ginger, two garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of each: turmeric, dandelion, horseradish, cayenne pepper, black peppercorns

Directions: Combine all ingredients and place in a bottle. Cut the onion, garlic and jalapeno so they can fit in the bottle, large pieces are better. Then, fill up the bottle with apple cider vinegar and shake it up. Potions take time, store for four weeks before enjoying it.

To learn more about the history of oxymel tonics, here’s a fun and informative article.
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