Craftsmanship How Sarson’s Makes Vinegar

We don’t make vinegar… We craft brew Sarson’s

Only Sarson’s is matured for seven times longer for a rich and round taste. Discover how our vinegar is made below.

Sarson’s is matured seven times longer* for a rich and round taste
*matured for 7 days, compared to most other malt vinegars produced in 24 hours

Brewed from British malt, fermented with larch wood wool from the Leighton Estate in Wales and matured in the Siberian pine vats.

We’ve been producing vinegar the same way for over 200 years, using quality British ingredients such as malted barley and water. All these lovely ingredients contribute to the 15 million bottles of Sarson’s we produce every year!

The hidden art of malt vinegar making

See behind the scenes

Take a look inside our factory and learn all about how Sarson’s is made!

How Vinegar is Made

Discover how Sarson’s vinegar is made using our unique techniques.

The Secret to Sarson’s

Discover the secret to the special Sarson’s taste.

The History of Sarson’s

Discover the fascinating history of Sarson’s, dating back to 1794.

The Sarson’s Malt Process

It’s not easy creating the distinctive Sarson’s flavour. But we’ve been following this technique for the past 200 years and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Malted Barley

The primary source of sugar that’s needed to make our vinegar is British malted barley.

Malted barley is delivered to the Sarson’s factory Malted barley is then milled and transferred to a grist hopper

Mashing

We ‘crack’ and ‘mash’ these grains in hot water to extract the sugars.

Hot water Mash tun

Fermentation

We then cool the liquid down and add yeast in a fermenter. It’s virtually identical to brewing beer, except without hops. After six days the yeast will have converted the sugars to alcohol and is removed.

Fermenter

Acetifier

We introduce a naturally ‘good’ bacteria called acetobacter in giant pine vats full of ‘wood wool’, which is made from larch trees from the Leighton Estate in Wales. This turns the alcohol into acetic acid and gives vinegar its sharp flavour and ‘pave’.

To create the iconic Sarson’s flavour this process takes seven days; most other vinegars on the market only dedicate 24 hours to this process.

Acetifier
Matured for 7 days

The Finished Vinegar

The vinegar is then standardised to 5% acid and pasteurised before being bottled.

Wooden vinegar storage

Lots more Sarson’s stuff

Pickling Made Easy

From onions to summer vegetables to beetroot, peppers and radishes. Use our guide and be inspired to pickle pretty much anything, right at home in your kitchen.

Make your own pickle