Apple Cider Vinegar: Five of the Best! Get It Right with these Reviews (August 2023)

One of the fermented products that has become more mainstream in recent years is Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). Thanks to claims from Kim Kardashian and Scarlett Johansson, ACV has very much become part of the modern diet sub-culture. There are many claims regarding apple cider vinegar benefits which are as far fetching as curing dandruff, weight loss, full body detox and a beauty treatment. This article will give the lowdown on both what apple cider vinegar is as well as provide an apple cider vinegar review of my some of most favourite brands on the market in 2023. This includes my very first purchased ACV – with detail on the OSU Apple Cider Vinegar Review. After reading this post, you definitely will not go wrong, the next time you choose to purchase your next apple cider vinegar.

Benefits for the gut microbiome

Although we have a good understanding of how important the gut microbiome is, whilst the wild claims of the other organic apple cider vinegar benefits with mother are made, I remain sceptical. However, I do not need convincing that ACV can play an important role in supporting our gut microbiome. That is, so long as it is unpasteurised and “with the mother“.

What is vinegar?

You may think that the kombucha pellicle is identical, or very close to that of the ‘mother’ of vinegar forming on the surface of fermenting vinegar. And, like kombucha, vinegar can be made from any fermented alcohol, or solution of fermentable sugars.

Exposing fermenting beverages to oxygen will allow for the growth of the aerobic Acetobacter bacteria. This converts alcohol into acetic acid, generally known as ‘vinegar’. Wine will make ‘wine vinegar’, cider ‘cider vinegar’ and beer produces ‘malt vinegar’.

Technically, the scoby like mother is not needed to make vinegar, so long as the bacteria are alive and feeding, then under the appropriate conditions, vinegar will be produced.

Although the quickest way to make vinegar is from an alcoholic drink. It is possible to make from any sweet solution that could be made into alcohol. You can either do that by pressing fruit scraps and covering with a sugar solution, or through using a vinegar ‘scoby’ from a source such as Freshly Fermented. Please note that I have no affiliation with the website.

The review process

In the rest of this review, I will write about the various products currently available on the market. I don’t like the vinegar ‘neat’. For each review, I mix the recommended amount of apple cider vinegar (ACV) per instructions in 500ml sparkling water. When I first wrote this page, I was not a huge fan of apple cider vinegar. However, in the six months since first posting it, I am now a fan favourite. Indeed it is now my go to drink on a Friday night to disassociate from work.

Willy’s Organic Live Apple Cider Vinegar Honey & Turmeric

I purchased this from Waitrose a few months back at full price which was £7.30 at the time. However there are often promotions on the price. At the time of writing, I could buy it for £5.80. Brought to you by the fantastically named “Willy Chase” this organic apple cider vinegar is raw, unpasteurised and gluten free. The mother is “present in our 300 year old organic orchards, free from intensive farming practices, pesticides & artificial fertilisers”. This apple cider vinegar is “a powerful elixir that has been used by generations to promote good health”.

Certainly from what it claims on its packaging it ticks all the right boxes for being ‘microbiome enhancing’. For someone following a low carb / keto diet, it packs quite a punchy percentage for carbs coming in at 32.4g per 100ml. However given you are suggested to only take 25ml, this works out at 8.1g per serving which isn’t so bad.

Willy’s Cider Vinegar – So what’s the verdict?

Certainly the reviews of the product across multiple sites are positive. Although it hits all the right notes when it comes to gut promoting benefits, I found this ACV too sharp.

OSU Apple Cider Vinegar Review

Firstly, I must declare that I loved this OSU Apple Cider Vinegar Review. OSU produce two ‘blends’, the first is a ‘pure’ ACV and the second is with blueberry and pomegranate juice. I have so far only tried the ‘pure ACV’ and was fortunate to purchase it on promotion at £5 per bottle (500ml), again from Waitrose however they’re currently on sale at full price online at £7.35. This is a slightly different vinegar to Willy’s in that it is blended with apple juice.

Ingredients

As with Willy it is raw and unpasteurised and suitable for vegans and ‘contains the mother’, however it does not state that it’s gluten free if that’s important for you.

When it comes to carbs it packs slightly more than Willy’s at 39.9g per 100g – presumably due to the apple juice, however given the suggested serving is slightly less than Willy’s at 20ml, the carbs per serving is actually slightly less at 7.98g.

Verdict

As with Willy, it hits all the right notes from a #guthealthmatters point of view. It is also very well rated across multiple websites. From a keto adherents perspective, it is not too bad either. For me the most distinguishing difference in this OSU apple cider vinegar review compared to ‘Willy’ is its ‘drinkability’. I love this, whilst you get a vinegary hint, it is much more similar to drinking any other fermented drink and no harshness.

The Umber Nectar: Natural Umber – The Northern Irish ACV

This is a brand that was recently introduced to me by my parents, having returned from Northern Ireland and has quickly become a huge favourite of mine. I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried anything like this before.

As described on their website, “Natural Umber is a premium, organic apple cider vinegar, containing Mother. It is named after its deep and rich colour, which reflects the earthy tones of the environment in which our apples our grown. Due to its unique fermentation process, Natural Umber is bursting with a naturally sweet taste and is full of goodness”.

Aside from the taste, what I especially like with Natural Umber is its ingredients. Very basically, aside from the apple liquid, there are none! More and more I am trying to follow a clean diet with as few added ingredients as possible. I’m a huge fan of OSU, but that has added concentrated fruit juice. That is a little bit of a turn off for me.

In terms of cost, it comes in favourably at approximately £6.25 per 500ml! This is comparable (if not slightly cheaper than both OSU and Willy’s. The only downside for me is that if you’re not based in Northern Ireland, the only outlet that I’ve found it available from in England is Amazon, and I hate Amazon!

So how does it score in this review

As I keep harping on, I have given up alcohol. I find the Natural Umber with sparkling water a great drink as a replacement for lager! For anyone trying to give up alcohol, they will agree how important it is to swap out drinks for something else.

Dorset Fire Tonic: The Apple Cider Vinegar from my Hometown

Well, what can I say? I am biased with the Dorset Fire Tonic Review as it’s from Weymouth, Dorset! Clearly it is the best!

In keeping with the Natural Umber, I love this ACV because it doesn’t have any ultra-processed ingredients. However, I was a little apprehensive before trying this. With an ingredient list of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar With The Mother, Ginger, Horseradish, Onion, Apple, Sugar, Apple Juice, Camomile Tea, Dried Chillies, Orange, Lemon, Turmeric, Garlic, Borage, Wasabi, Chilli, Cloves, Black Pepper I had no idea what to expect.

As described by the producers, this tonic is highly acclaimed by many! Boost your immune system daily with a splash of our deliciously punchy health-giving elixir. Packed with prebiotics and probiotics.

I love spicy food! But an ACV with mother including ginger, horseradish, garlic, wasabi and chilli….I had no idea what to expect. However, my mind was blown on tasting it! Rather than a harsh undrinkable heat with an acetic finish from the vinegar. It has all the pleasant-ness of the vinegar with the flavour of the wasabi and chilli. Yet it wasn’t undrinkable due to the heat.

Dorset Fire Tonic is “produced in small batches to ensure bloodhound like attention to detail. Using ingredients grown with love on our allotment. Alongside a hitlist of devilishly good local accomplices to complete this tastebud tingling ensemble. Apple cider vinegar made by Dorset Nectar; tangy wasabi grown by The Wasabi Company- less than ten miles away in neighbouring Dorchester. And of course, our county’s favourite heavyweight, The Dorset Naga, grown by its original inventors at Sea Spring Seeds”. So it definitely has the positives of low food miles and working with local producers.

Aside from the ingredients and taste, isn’t the packaging simply stunning?!

So?…..

So what’s the catch?! Well, the price. It comes in at a hefty £26 for a 500ml bottle. This makes it the most expensive of all apple cider vinegars with mother in this review page. And possibly one of the most expensive ACV’s available! It’s definitely not something I’d be purchasing every week, but will definitely be something I come back to.

And last but not least: Mother’s Natural Aid, Apple Cider Vinegar, the Somerset Barnstormer

Another candidate from the south west comes this beauty from Somerset!

Anyone familiar with the character ‘Hilts’ played by Steve McQueen in the 1963 film the Great Escape, may be familiar with his reaction to their moonshine for the 4 July celebrations! Woaaaaaah! He exclaims on first tasting it. That was very much my reaction to this ‘Somerset Barnstormer’.

Matured for 10 years, again, this ACV scores highly on the taste test. Coming in at £12.95 in a beautifully packaged 350ml serving, like the Dorset Fire Tonic, this too is on the pricier side of the ACV’s reviewed. In this test it also scores highly for colour, with a beautiful amber almost sunset like colour. This would make it the perfect addition for a range of gut friendly mocktails or even in alcoholic fermented drink cocktails.

And did you know that the time of day that you take ACV will have different impacts on your health?

If you’d like to read similar reviews, then you may be interested in some of the following posts:

• Kilner Jar: The Ultimate Kitchen Organiser (2023)
• Mad Millie Kefir Kit: An Expensive Option for New Fermenters
• Gut Lovin’ Soda: My Fizzy Journey to Better Gut Health
• Aspall Apple Cider Vinegar with Honey: Unveiling the Magic (August 2023)

---