Sweet, sour and uniquely refreshing, this might be the perfect winter Spritz.
About the cocktail
Fire cider sounds like the sort of drink Harry Potter and his mates might swig at the bar in the Hogsmeade. The truth is a little more down to earth, but still pretty magical in its own way, with this fruity, sour, sweet, spicy and very refreshing blend in the Fire Cider Spritz. The original fire cider (also known as fire cider tonic) is essentially a folk medicine – a herbal concoction sipped to prevent colds. We make no such health claims here, of course, but one thing not in dispute is that this old remedy is powerfully delicious, and very much at home in a cocktail. The traditional style leans heavily on garlic, which tends to run the tables in terms of flavour. Instead, we’ve left it out, and combined rosemary, ginger, lemon, chilli, honey, cherries and sherry vinegar for our take on fire cider. That flavoursome tonic is then combined with Pedro Ximenez – a dark, sweet style of sherry – and soda water, resulting in a complex, fizzy and lightly alcoholic Spritz. The result is a truly unique and delicious cocktail. The savoury and sour elements would make it a winner when paired with, say, a roast chook or pork chops, but the fiery flavours mean this could also be the perfect cold-weather Spritz.
Ingredients: Fire cider tonic
8cm rosemary branch, leaves only ¼ cup diced ginger ½ lemon, zested ½ tsp chilli flakes 5 tbsp honey ½ cup pitted cherries 1 cup sherry vinegar
Ingredients: Cocktail
30mL fire cider tonic 60mL Pedro Ximenez 75mL soda water Glass: wine Garnish: lemon peel and orange peel
Method
Prepare the fire cider tonic by mixing ingredients in a jar and stirring until honey is dissolved For the cocktail, combine the fire cider tonic with sherry in your glass Fill with ice and top with soda, leaving a centimetre gap at the top Gently stir to combine Garnish with the citrus peels
Dan’s top tips
This cocktail is understandably all about the fire cider tonic. Traditionally, this is made and stored weeks or months ahead of use, presumably to let the flavours settle – and also because it keeps so well. You don’t need to do that here, although it is a good idea to make the batch before you want to make the cocktail. That way, you’ll have one of the easiest Spritzes you’ve ever made. Just make sure all the solids sit underneath the liquid in your jar so everything stays fresh. Another thing to keep in mind is that it’s all about using ingredients you have on-hand or that are in season. Our cocktail gurus picked cherries for the fruit element because they were available at the time, but feel free to sub them for any fruit in easy reach. Mango, pineapple, orange, blackberries – whatever you fancy. Fire cider often calls for a clove to garnish. We haven’t included it here, but if you want a little more depth of flavour, you could stud your citrus peel garnish with a few cloves. Totally optional, though.
What is fire cider tonic?
Fire cider tonic is a traditional mix that blends ingredients like ginger, vinegar, honey and chilli.
What can you use instead of Pedro Ximenez sherry?
If you don’t have access to Pedro Ximenez, you could use any sweet sherry or port, or even a sweet style of rum. Just keep in mind that the alcohol content will vary depending on the substitution.
- What does a Fire Cider Tonic Spritz taste like?
Our Fire Cider Spritz is sour, sweet and refreshing.
