Oxymel: The Other Vinegar Drink

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10 responses to “Oxymel: The Other Vinegar Drink”

1. 

   January 18, 2017

   SSteve

   Just for clarification: is “1litter” of honey the same as “1liter” (i.e. almost four times as much honey as vinegar)? If so, it sounds like oxymel is more honey+vinegar than the other way around.

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2. 

   January 18, 2017

   Camper English

   Humberto confirmed the proportions. Shrubs and oxymel (and maybe not switchels) refer to both the syrups and the finished drinks with soda water. So this recipe is for a really really rich honey-vinegar syrup.

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3. 

   January 23, 2017

   Antonio Saldanha de Oliveira

   Hi dear @SSteven and Camper!
   I work for Humberto at Curfew and to clarify, after really long researches we found out that there were a lot of different racios regarding the different purposes of the oxymel. In the very beginning as they were used mainly with a medicinal porpuse to prescrive really bitter roots and herbs, impossible to bear the flavour by themselves, doctors prescrived essentialy in racios 1:1 of both sweetener(raw honey) and acid(vinegar). Ahead from that and due to changes on the human palate for a “sweeter tooth” we found different racios in between 3:1 and 4:1. After experiments we concluded that for culinary porpuses this 2 last racios are the most balanced ones regarding the grade
   of bitterness and power of the flavours you’re using.
   Eg: We tried to do basil oxymel as experiment. Racio 1:1 was unbearable.
   Racio 3:1 was ok but still too powerfull and acid to mix with other ingredients.
   Racio 4:1 was the one we found to be the most balanced and that created a sweet & sour mix here all the agents (aromatic, sweetener & sour/tart) would be recognizable and work in harmony together.
   Eg2: We made then the same experiment with Thai Basil, not as powerful in flavour and sharpness as the regular Basil, and with some more aromatic, sweet and gentle notes.
   Racio 1:1 again impossible to bear the acidity that overtakes all the other agents.
   Racio 3:1 perfect balance between agents (aromatic, sweetener & sour/tart) bringing the aromatics from the thai basil, complemented with the acidity of the vinegar.
   Racio 4:1 This racio bringed over sweet notes. Having in consideration that the Thai basil doesn’t have the same power and sharpness in flavour as the regular basil, this racio allowed the sweetner to take over and the honey notes overpowered the aromatics and sour/tart agents.
   Best regards,
   Antonio Saldanha de Oliveira

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4. 

   January 24, 2017

   Camper English

   Thanks Antonio!

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5. 

   January 23, 2022

   Zara shaikh

   Being a student of Greek medicine…I always liked the idea of herbal drinks..and would like to be guided , how can we start manufacturing medicinal oxymel..
   I have access to a few old recipes…want to try them out. with some experienced person..
   Author of book series..The complete guide to Unani Herbalism

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