Oxymel – An Ancient Recipe

Records of oxymel and its use can be found in ancient medical and healing texts, such as those by Galen of Pergamon (129-199) and in the Middle Ages by Hildegard von Bingen.

Honey and vinegar – each a powerful home remedy with countless positive properties – are mixed, and as an added bonus, this potent mixture can also be infused with (medicinal) herbs.

For a long, long time, the so-called "sauerhonig" (sour honey) held its fixed place as a form of medicine among healers and doctors.

The drink is indeed versatile:
1-2 tablespoons pure half an hour before the first meal, diluted 1:10 with warm or cold water or – for even more refreshment – with cold mineral water. But its use in the kitchen also invites creative experimentation.

Honey contains over 180 different ingredients. In addition to various types of sugar, it contains vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, and polyphenols (which act as antioxidants), as well as enzymes from the bee. The latter are, among other things, responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of honey.

The Power of Bees, Microorganisms, and Plants

Vinegar is a fermentation product in which the alcohol of a fruit wine is converted into acid with the help of microorganisms. Because of its dietary effect, vinegar was highly praised by Hippocrates (the founder of modern medicine).

Both vinegar and honey have strong extraction power. Therefore, if herbs or spices are added, the valuable essential oils and secondary plant compounds are gently dissolved and perfectly preserved in the honey-vinegar drink.

For our oxymels, in addition to our organic honey, we use only products of certified organic quality from Austrian manufacturers for the other ingredients, such as Sonnentor and Gölles.