Makes about one pint
Oxymel is a 
traditional tonic based on apple cider vinegar and raw, unfiltered honey. Both contain live enzymes, and honey has powerful antibacterial actions. Oxymels can be made with a variety of roots, berries and herbs, including rosemary, thyme, lavender, rose petals and others, depending the medicinal properties you’re looking for. This recipe uses elderberry, rosehips and ginger, to fight pathogens and support immune health.
Traditional oxymels use raw, unfiltered honey for its antimicrobial effects; for a strictly vegan version, you can swap agave for sweetness, or add a few dates to the finished mixture. Be sure to use unfiltered, organic apple cider vinegar that contains the “mother,” a cloudy sediment that’s rich in enzymes and beneficial bacteria.
Two methods are explained below; the traditional infusion method is best, to extract and retain all the healing compounds. For a faster oxymel, you can make a quick herbal decoction with roots and dried berries. Don’t use this method for delicate ingredients, like rose petals, lavender or aromatic herbs; it will destroy their properties and flavor. Heating the apple cider vinegar also damages the probiotic-rich “mother,” but you’ll get all the benefits of the herbal ingredients. Take a few tablespoons a day, added to tea or water, or just drink it straight up as a shot.
Ingredients
1 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar (depending on method; see below)
1/2 cup raw, unfiltered honey
1/3 cup dried elderberries
3 tablespoons dried rosehips
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger root
Traditional infusion method
1. Pack elderberries, rose hips and ginger into a glass pint jar; herbs should fill jar about a quarter full. Cover with 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar and honey. Jar should be almost full, with about 1/2 inch of room at the top. If not, top it off with a little additional vinegar.
2. Using a clean towel, wipe any liquid off the rim to ensure a tight seal. Screw lid on jar and shake to mix ingredients; a plastic lid is best, since the vinegar can corrode metal.
3. Place jar in a cool, dark location, like a closet, and let steep for two weeks, shaking jar every couple of days to enhance extraction.
4. After mixture has steeped, strain out solids: drape cheesecloth over a glass bowl, pour mixture in, gather edges of cheesecloth and squeeze firmly to extract oxymel. Or pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a glass bowl; press mixture firmly with the back of a wooden spoon to extract oxymel. (The cheesecloth method is preferable, to extract as much liquid as possible.)
5. Transfer to a glass pint jar with a tightly fitting plastic lid and store, refrigerated, for up to four months.
Quick herbal decoction
1. In a medium pot, combine herbs and 2 1/2 cups vinegar. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until reduced by about half. Remove from heat let cool to room temperature.
2. Strain out solids, using a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer (see instructions in traditional steeping method).
3. Transfer to a glass pint jar with a tightly fitting plastic lid and add honey. Screw on lid and shake vigorously to combine. Store, refrigerated, for up to four months.