How to Make the Best Fire Cider

Fire cider recipe with directions and ingredients

If you’ve ever wondered what fire cider is, here’s the short answer: a punchy, tangy, slightly spicy herbal tonic that’s been passed around herbalist circles for decades. This is the best fire cider recipe you’ll find if you’re after something that works hard for your immune system while still tasting good enough to sip. Ours is built on the same folk tradition but swaps in our Figure Ate Persimmon Vinegar for a sweeter, more complex base than the standard apple cider vinegar.

What Is Fire Cider?

Fire cider is a modern herbal tonic inspired by an ancient preparation known as an oxymel—a mix of vinegar, honey, and medicinal herbs. The vinegar draws out the plant compounds, the honey balances the tang and heat, and the herbs do the heavy lifting when it comes to flavor and function. Think warming spices, sinus-clearing roots, citrus, and a hint of sweetness.

Although the oxymel tradition stretches back to Greek and Roman times, fire cider itself was popularized in the 1980s by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar. The beauty of this tonic is that it’s endlessly adaptable. Every herbalist (and every kitchen) puts their own spin on it. Which means there’s no single “authentic” recipe—just the one that tastes and works best for you.

Fire Cider Benefits 

People reach for fire cider for a reason—it’s loaded with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and circulatory-boosting ingredients. Common uses include:

Fire cider benefits

  • Supporting the immune system during cold and flu season

  • Warming you up on cold days

  • Helping clear sinuses and ease congestion

  • Aiding digestion and metabolism

Whether you sip it as a fire cider tonic shot, mix it into salad dressings, or stir it into sparkling water with lemon, you’re getting a hit of herbs, roots, and spices that have been used for centuries to keep bodies resilient.

Fire Cider Ingredients

No two homemade fire cider blends are exactly the same, but they tend to hit a few key notes: spicy (like chili or habanero), pungent (garlic, onion, horseradish), aromatic herbs (rosemary, thyme, cilantro), warming roots (ginger, turmeric), and bright citrus (orange, lemon).

Here’s the ingredient lineup from our batch:

  • Lemon and orange for brightness

  • Garlic, red onion, and habanero for heat + bite

  • Bay leaves, fresh thyme, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and allspice for aromatic depth

  • Ginger and turmeric roots for anti-inflammatory power

  • A generous pour of persimmon vinegar as the infusion base

  • Honey for sweetness at the finish

Other variations we love from our team include fresh rosemary, elderberry, extra habanero, or grated horseradish for a sinus-clearing kick.

How to Make Fire Cider

This is less a strict recipe and more of a method—once you understand the basics, you can swap, add, or double up based on what’s in season or what you’re craving.

Fire cider ingredientsIngredients:

  • ½ lemon, peeled

  • 1 small red onion

  • ½ head of garlic

  • 1 habanero pepper

  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1–2 inches fresh turmeric root, chopped

  • 1–2 inches fresh ginger root, chopped

  • 1 orange, sliced

  • 1–3 cinnamon sticks

  • 3–5 star anise pods

  • 10 allspice berries

  • 2 tbsp honey

  • 1 bottle persimmon vinegar

Directions:

  1. Add all your chopped, sliced, and grated ingredients to a large glass jar alongside the spices and honey.

  2. Pour in enough persimmon vinegar to cover completely. At minimum you’ll want to use one bottle, up to two.

  3. Seal the jar and stash it somewhere cool and dark—like the back of a cupboard—for 4–5 weeks. Shake daily.

  4. After 5 weeks has passed, remove your fire cider vinegar from the cupboard. Strain out the solids with a cheese cloth + colander, capturing the tonic liquid in a jar below. Take the leftover herbs, citrus, etc and wrap in a cheese cloth and squeeze out any remaining liquid into your jar.

  5. Enjoy as a shot, in a tonic, or mixed into seltzer.

Pro tip: Over time, the sharp vinegar tang will mellow, the herbs and roots will meld into a deeper profile, and the spice can become more pronounced—so taste as you go and adjust future batches to your liking.

What Is Fire Cider Good For?

Fire cider is as versatile as it is potent. Take a spoonful daily as an immune booster during cold season, drizzle it over roasted veggies, add a splash to grilled meats, or stir it into broth for a tangy twist. 

 

🔗 Looking for more ways to nourish your body with regenerative foods?  Sign up for our newsletter  & get exclusive recipes and insights into the projects of White Buffalo Land Trust!