Minecraft potions guide: how to brew and enhance potions

If you think about it, mixing potions isn’t all that different from mixing materials to make items in Minecraft. That is just conceptually speaking because the act of brewing potions is not nearly as simple or straightforward as just organizing a couple of sticks and stones in a grid. Potions require a bit more nuance and preparation to make, but the effects they can have are quite literally game-changing.

There’s a lot you need to do to get started mixing up your own potions, and once you have the tools required, there’s no instruction manual on how to make the dozens of possible potions, let alone the best ones. If you want to allow yourself to walk through lava and see in the dark without the use of mods, check out this full potions guide.

How to make a brewing station

Much like a witch needs a cauldron, you need a brewing station to start making your own potions in Minecraft. This isn’t something you can do in the early hours of the game since it requires a few endgame resources. Most notably, you will need Blaze Rods, which can only be found in the Nether. There are multiple ways to make a portal to reach the Nether so you can take your pick on how you do it, but obviously, make sure you’re prepared with good armor and weapons first since you will be doing some fighting.

Once in the Nether, find a fortress and fight some Blazes until you get at least one Blaze Rod. That’s all you need for now, but the Nether is full of important brewing ingredients you may want to snag for later like Nether Wart and Ghast Tears.

The recipe for a brewing station itself is very simple. Just place the Blaze Rod and three cobblestones as shown above to make your simple stand. Set it up in your base, and you will be ready to start making some potions.