You're likely to either love or hate bitter flavors. Spring is the time of change - and to make sure that change flows we need bitters. My first introduction to a custom herbal protocol as an adult (I'd been experimenting on myself for years before that, and my mom often gave us herbs) was a bitter herbal liver cleanse by one of my teachers - Karen Rose of Sacred Vibes in Brooklyn. I came complaining about feeing stuck in the winter, slow, sluggish, lethargic. She gave me Oregon Grape, Yellow Dock, Dandelion & Burdock to take 3x a day for a week. Clearly this decoction did not taste great, but Karen said to choke it down - the taste was important too. I started the cleanse skeptical, but left feeling exactly as promise - FLOW was back, I felt lighter, not craving the heavy winterfoods, and my skin had cleared up. I was a believer in bitters. The herbs helped my liver do what it loves to do - process out impurities and toxins in the body - so in a sense I was just helping my body remember (through bitter flavors) what it was doing all along. 

I recently started reading The Wild Medicine Solution by Guido Mase. Guido writes poetically about bitter herbs and their effects in "remedying digestive symptoms, bolstering liver health, and reestablishing blood sugar balance." Exactly all the things you need after a long winter of sluggishness (if you live in the cold climates like I do) and eating a lot of heavy foods. I recommend reading this book for its fusion of science and energetic herbalism and the simple focus on aromatics, tonics and bitters. 

Simply find your favorite liver root - I recommend yellow dock or burdock if you live in the NE as you can harvest it simply outside your door in most cases - and make a strong decoction of 1 tbsp herb to 1 cup of water simmered, covered, for 20 minutes. Drink a cup 3-4 times a day for a week, and see how you feel.  

I know it's been a while, but I'm thinking about my favorite winter beverage - Fire Cider! It's been capitalized on by some lovely folks out of Northhampton, but for the hefty price of $15/8oz you can make your own for about $2. 

I like this recipe from Mt Rose Herbs:

1/2 cup fresh grated ginger root
1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish root (you can use the stuff that comes in vinegar from the store too, fresh is hard to find in the winter)
1 medium organic onion, chopped
10 cloves of organic garlic, crushed or chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
Zest and juice from 1 organic lemon
2 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp tumeric
apple cider vinegar (Braggs is the best)
(this comes later) raw honey to taste


Put everything in a quart jar. Place a piece of wax paper of plastic over the lid, so the vinegar doesn't come in contact with the metal. Store in a dark, cool place for one month and remember to shake daily.

Strain through cheesecloth and add about 1/4 cup of honey and stir until incorporated. Taste your cider and add another 1/4 cup until you reach the sweetness you like. 

You can add to seltzer, hot water, or just do shots straight! It's good when you're coming down with a cold, or when you don't want to get one. Fire cider is an herbal supplement to boost the immune system, stimulate digestion, and spice up your winter days.