Hey everyone! Apple cider vinegar is a must-have in your pantry, and I use it on practically every salad. But not all ACV is equal. What you’re getting with Fairchild’s is the same exact vinegar that went into the original Bragg’s, back before that company was sold – full-strength, rich, dark and golden, the way it’s meant to be.
1. Why Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is loaded with acetic acid. Your gut microbes make acetic acid when you eat fiber – it’s the most abundant short-chain fatty acid in your system and acts like fuel for your colon cells, which can improve your energy. It’s great for your blood sugars, and it can improve your pH, which decreases pathogens because it’s a powerful antimicrobial. Since it helps with insulin resistance, it can help with lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides and a fatty liver – which relates to a smaller belly, a lower appetite and better overall digestion. There are so many clinical studies on ACV I could keep you here for hours.
2. Replace Distilled White Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is in mayonnaise, pickles and practically every sauce on the market. Dr. Norman Walker wrote:
“This type of vinegar is injurious to the system. It rapidly destroys red blood corpuscles resulting in anemia. It also interferes with the digestive processes, retarding them and preventing the proper assimilation of food.” – Dr. Norman Walker
When I made a homemade tartar sauce, I noticed the pickles were soaking in distilled white vinegar. That evening I looked up how to make my own pickles in apple cider vinegar, and I’ll never eat the other ones again. When you swap white vinegar for ACV, you remove something harmful and replace it with something extremely beneficial.
3. The Fairchild’s and Bragg’s Story
I compared two bottles side by side: one looked watered down and light, the other as dark as can be. The darkness comes from proper aging. After many of you shared your favorite vinegars with me, I spent weeks waiting for answers from company owners – and finally reached the main guy at the company that used to supply Bragg’s.
Fairchild was the sole supplier of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar before Bragg’s sold to an investment company. He told me the new ownership cut costs wherever possible and pushed out their only supplier because Fairchild refused to sell at unfair, reduced prices. Instead of lowering their standards, Fairchild launched its own retail brand, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. When the buyer later came back, Fairchild chose to stay independent.
I asked him why the other vinegar now looks pale. He said he doesn’t believe it’s aged the way theirs is – vinegar darkens as it ages, and the longer it’s aged, the better it tastes.
4. What I Found Out About the Water
When a customer told me Bragg’s used tap water, I called them myself. The woman who answered told me, three times, “We use LA city potable water,” and confirmed it’s the same water that comes out of the faucets in Los Angeles. That’s a formal way of saying municipal tap water – which meets drinking standards but can contain chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals like lead and disinfection byproducts. Bragg’s dilutes its vinegar to 5% acidity; Fairchild’s owner told me that’s roughly 25% added water. After my newsletter, many customers called and got the same answer.
5. What Makes Fairchild’s Different
- Full-strength, no water added – about 25% more pure ACV per bottle, so you can dilute to your own taste, or not. It’s also more sustainable: less packaging.
- A maker, not a bottler – most ACV companies rely on outside suppliers. Fairchild’s is fully integrated: they work directly with growers, truck in their own apples and craft the vinegar themselves.
- Naturally fermented for over 6 months – unpasteurized, unfiltered, with the Mother; Certified Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and kosher.
- Rich, dark and golden – the color of real aging.
- 32 oz glass bottles.
How to Use It
Use it on salads and in dressings, make your own pickles with it, and use it anywhere a recipe calls for distilled white vinegar. Because it’s full-strength, dilute it in water to taste. For travel, our Apple Cider Vinegar Juice Powder is made from this same Fairchild’s vinegar. → See The Best Raw Foods.
Apple Cider Vinegar FAQ
What are the benefits of apple cider vinegar?
Matt explains its acetic acid fuels colon cells, supports blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, helps pH and pathogens, and supports lipids, appetite and digestion.
Is Fairchild’s the original Bragg’s vinegar?
Fairchild was the sole supplier of Bragg’s vinegar before Bragg’s was sold to an investment company. Fairchild’s is the same vinegar that went into the original Bragg’s.
Is Fairchild’s diluted?
No. It’s full-strength with no water added – about 25% more pure ACV per bottle than a vinegar diluted to 5% acidity.
Why is Fairchild’s so dark?
It’s naturally fermented for over 6 months. Vinegar darkens as it ages, and the longer it ages, the better it tastes.
Why avoid distilled white vinegar?
Dr. Norman Walker wrote it is injurious to the system, destroys red blood corpuscles and interferes with digestion. Matt replaces it with ACV wherever he can.
Is this medical advice?
No. This is educational information from Matt’s 30+ years with superfoods. Please talk with your healthcare practitioner about any health concern.
From Matt’s Newsletters
- Aug 6, 2026 – We Confirmed It: Bragg’s Uses Tap Water
Get It
Fairchild’s Apple Cider Vinegar · Apple Cider Vinegar Juice Powder
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

