Shire City Herbals closes after a decade making vinegar-based tonics; supply-chain problems said to be a factor (2024)

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Shire City Herbals closes after a decade making vinegar-based tonics; supply-chain problems said to be a factor? ›

Shire City Herbals closes after a decade making vinegar-based tonics; supply-chain problems said to be a factor. Edgar LeBron of Shire City Herbals bottles fire cider tonics at the company's facility in Pittsfield

Much of Shire City's lifespan was consumed by a yearslong trademark dispute over the company's ownership of the term “Fire Cider.” Shire City filed for the trademark in 2012, inadvertently stoking the ire of the herbalist community, which claimed that the term was a generic descriptor for a traditional folk remedy and ...

Two years ago, the co-op discontinued Fire Cider made by Shire City Herbals because of the legal action they had taken against community herbalists for using a traditional remedy and term. This decision was not made lightly.

1:04: Kim Allardyce, CEO, Shire City Herbals – Allardyce joined Taste Radio editor Ray Latif at BevNET headquarters where they recalled attending a Red Sox game with “The Beverage Whisperer,” her first role with Shire City and how a multi-year trademark drained the company of time and resources.

The next year, Shire City fired back with a trademark infringement lawsuit against Blue, Langlier, and Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine director Nicole Telkes and sought a declaratory judgment to validate its ownership of the Fire Cider name.

Long Shelf Life — When properly stored, fire cider can last up to 12 months, making it a convenient health boost any time you need it. Versatile — It's not just a health tonic, fire cider can be used in cooking or as a salad dressing.

After a five year battle, “fire cider” is free from trademark restrictions and is officially considered a generic term, which means no one can own it — it belongs to all of us, and all are free to make and sell fire cider as they chose.

The price of the 500 ml can was £1.39. As of 2017, the cans' ABV was reduced to 8%, and had a reduced retail price of £1.09. As of 2020, its ABV was reduced yet again to 7.5%.

In 2012 a Massachusetts company called Shire City Herbals trademarked the name Fire Cider and started selling it. However, Dana St. Pierre also claim to have trademarked it. A number of herbalists say that they have been using the term Fire Cider since 1980s.

Oxymel, Four Thieves Vinegar, Honeygar, and Fire Cider are all variations of a base vinegar tincture that has been with us for over 2500 years, and we reckon our modern take Hilbilby Fire Tonic™, has mastered the "Master Tonic".

Where did fire cider come from? ›

Although the preparation has been used for hundreds of years, the name Fire Cider can be credited to Rosemary Gladstar , a well-known herbalist and educator. Gladstar coined the term back in the late 1970's because of the pungent plants in the recipe.

Fire cider is an herbal concoction that steeps for weeks and emerges tangy and hot. It is a pungent brew made from apple cider vinegar, onions, garlic and horseradish, sometimes with citrus and hot peppers thrown in.