NMR ISSUE 54

Aspect in Astrology
Bardic Source Book
Because I am a Witch My Love
Blessing for a Child
Complete Book of Spells, Curses
Earth Magic
Fetish Stones
Finding Your Totem, Discovering Your Guardian
Gleanings 54
How to Use Magick with a Straight Face
Kingdoms of the Faerje Realm
Language and the Doctrine of Signatures
Mountains, Meadows and Moonbeams
New Twist on Tinctures
On the Invocation of Eris:
Pagan Nudity
People of the Earth:
Shapeshifter Tarot
Teen Witch:
The Great Spirit Goddess
The Lore of the Oak
The Samhain Host: Remembering the Dead
The Sun Goddess:
The Well of Remembrance:
To Light a Sacred Flame:
Worship of the Goddess: The Lost Art

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A New Twist on Tinctures

By Michelle Belanger

Traditionally, herbal tinctures are made, by steeping a quantity of medicinal herbs in a grain- alcohol base. The alcohol leeches out the potent essences of the herb, and the resulting liquid can be taken orally in place of the herb itself. Tinctures keep well and are relatively easy to make, but as anyone who has taken them orally knows, they can be pretty nasty. Most medicinal herbs are quite bitter, and it's the medicinal part of the herb that makes them that way, so this bitterness is only heightened when the essence is concentrated in the alcohol

However, "the worse it tastes, the better it is for you" does not necessarily have to hold true when healing with herbs. Herbal tinctures don't need to taste like medicine. Most home made tinctures use a colorless, tasteless alcohol for the base. Vodka is most common, though grain alcohol, like Everclear, is used when it's available. Vodka's pretty unpalatable stuff even without the medicinal herbs, to say nothing of Everclear, so it's no wonder that most herbal tinctures need more than a spoon-full of sugar to go down.

An herbal tincture cannot be made without an alcohol base. The alcohol not only leeches the active parts of the herb; it also serves to preserve the tincture so it can be stored. To do this, the alcohol has to have a relatively high proof but anything between 70 and 90 proof will do the trick. Anisette liqueur, various types of schnapps, triple sec and so forth all qualify as potential bases for herbal tinctures. As these are flavored liqueurs, it opens up a whole new realm of culinary as well as medicinal possibilities.

The best kind of medicine is something that tastes good so you don't hesitate to use it when you need it. Many of the following recipes are not only good medicines but they also serve to liven up a liquor cabinet at a party. Herbal liqueurs are nothing new. Benedictine and Vermouth are both herbal alcohol, and they enjoy wide, commercial usage. The good thing is that, since herbs are so much gentler than synthetic medicines, even when drinking an herbal alcohol recreationally, it's very hard to overdo it. You'll feel the effects of the alcohol telling you to quit long before you've overdone it with the herb.

When making the recipes that follow, be sure that you store the bottles in a place that is away from sunlight or direct heat. Sunlight breaks down the active ingredients in herbs, as does heat. A cupboard that is safely away from your oven and stove is the best. Also, always remember to label your concoctions. Date them as well, so you know how long they've been around. Without the herbs directly in the alcohol, some breakdown of the active components does occur, so over time your tinctures will lose their potency. After a year or so, it might be a good idea to either give the tincture a fresh infusion of herbs or start a new batch entirely.

When steeping the herbs, don't just forget about them. Agitate the liquid once every two weeks or so, swirling the liquor around so that all of the herbs are covered and mixed throughout. Most of the recommended steeping times below run between three and six weeks. Don't worry if you let the mixture steep longer. In the case of herbal liqueurs, the longer you leave them, the better. Your liqueur will be most potent if left to steep for up to a year. In that amount of time, the essence of the herb has "married" with the alcohol. Flavor, color, and potency will only increase the longer you let the liqueur steep. Also, tinctures tend to become smoother, and mellower with age, and the alcohol will not go down as sharply as with something that's steeped only a few weeks.

Cinnamon Schnapps & Sage Throat Gargle

I've been using this recipe for five years now, and I have always had excellent results. People come from out of state to stock up on this concoction for winter. It's a potent mouthwash and throat gargle, and has proven effective against tonsillitis, strep-throat common colds, and even Mono. Its' main active ingredient is sage, which has been used for sore throats for hundreds of years. The cloves are a natural antiseptic and they also have anaesthetic properties, especially when applied to the tender flesh of the mouth. Balm of Gilead helps cut through phlegm, and angelica is a general panacea that rounds out just about any medicinal liqueur.

3 Balm of Gilead buds

Insert sage leaves, cloves, angelica root, and Balm of Gilead buds into your bottle of cinnamon schnapps. Swirl the liquid in the bottle around to make sure everything is submerged in the alcohol. Store the bottle in a cupboard, out of the light for three to five weeks. (You can leave the tincture longer. The longer you leave it, the stronger it becomes, and the schnapps takes on a deep golden color from the sage). When it's done steeping, take the bottle out, get a wire strainer and a clean vessel and dump out the contents of the bottle into the vessel, using the strainer to catch all the herbal bits. Make sure all the bits of leaves and roots are out of the original bottle. Rinse it out with water if you have to. Once the schnapps has been strained and the bottle is clean, use a funnel to pour the resulting tincture back into the bottle. Cap it tightly and put it back in the dark cupboard until you need to use it.

In general, you should only use this a shot at a time. It's so powerful; you probably won't want to attempt more than that. Throw it back in your throat and gargle with it as long as you can, then spit it out or swallow it, as you prefer.

Peppermint Schnapps Anodyne

White willow bark has been chewed for centuries to relieve pain. The bark contains salicylic acid, which, in a laboratory, gives rise to acetylsalicylic acid, otherwise known as aspirin. Of course, anyone who's chewed either aspirin or willow bark knows that the stuff is pretty bitter. For this reason, though there are many varieties of willow bark teas available, most people still prefer the convenience of aspirin, as you can just swallow the bitter pill and be done with it.

1 tablespoon catnip

Add the herbs to the liqueur, seal the bottle and steep in a cool, dark place for 4 to 6 weeks, longer if you have the time. Strain the herbs from the alcohol and place the finished tincture back in its bottle. Store until needed. Take a shot to help relieve headache, sore joints, or any other mild pain. Though one of my friends loves to drink this socially, the bitter taste of the willow still comes through, even underneath the powerful flavor of the peppermint, so I personally don't recommend it.

Damiana Liqueur

Okay. This one's just for fun. Damiana is a plant that grows south of the border. It has been sold as "Spanish fly" and, although it is not nearly as potent as that mythical herb, it is nevertheless a strong aphrodisiac. Damiana also has slight euphoric effects and it tends to heighten sensation. All this, and it's perfectly legal, too.

1/2 cup Damiana leaves

Steep the Damiana in the liquor for 4 to 6 weeks and strain as before. The anisette will take on a delicious golden color. Damiana tastes a little like oregano, and it gives the anisette a smooth, slightly spicy flavor. This is best taken a shot at a time, but not pounded. The taste is exotic and unique, and you will want to savor it.

Triple Sec and Valerian

When you want to relax and have a restful sleep, valerian root is the best answer. But, to put it politely, valerian is a rather pungent herb. Cats seem to love the stuff but to human noses it tends to smell something like old gym socks. Teas made from the root taste no better, which usually means that we drink the gentler, more palatable chamomile instead. However, chamomile has a very mild effect, and sometimes something more potent is really called for. The following liqueur is an attempt to make valerian a bit more palatable

At least cover most of its unpleasant taste with the powerful taste of the liqueur. The strong orange - lemon taste of Triple Sec mingles best with the scent and taste of valerian, though there is still a lingering impression of old gym socks.

1 teaspoon orange peel

Steep the herbs as before. After 4 to 6 weeks strain and rebottle. Label the mixture and store until needed. With valerian combined with skullcap, this mixture is a potent calmative and relaxant. Plan to take a good, long nap once the effects of this liqueur have kicked in. You can take it straight, as a shot, or you can put a shot worth of the liqueur in tea. I recommend an orange and spice herbal tea for best culinary results.

Citron Vodka and Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a wonderful herb. Not only is it tasty and full of vitamin C, but it is also one of the few remedies that seem to affect viruses. In Germany, lemon balm is used in a treatment for herpes, and the antiviral effects of the herb have had great results. Drunk as a tea (and it is really palatable in and of itself), lemon balm makes a delicious tonic which bolsters the immune system against just about anything nature can throw at it. The following liqueur is meant mostly as a mouthwash for cold sores (a form of the herpes virus), but it can be drunk straight for both its tastes and its immunological benefits.

1 cup lemon balm

Steep the lemon balm in the liqueur. Strain after 4 to 6 weeks and store. When afflicted by cold sores, take a shot of the liqueur and swish it around in your mouth, concentrating on holding it near the affected area. Do this for a full minute. Swallow or spit, it's your option.

The possibilities are virtually limitless. Get creative and try making some herbal liqueurs of your own. Brandy, vodka, and schnapps all serve as excellent bases for both medicinal and recreational herbal liqueurs. As a general rule, try to match the overall flavor of the herbs with the flavor of the alcohol. For spicy herbs, like cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and so forth, either rum or cinnamon schnapps will do. For tart or citric herbs, use Triple Sec or other citrus flavored liqueurs. For sweet, fruity herbs, brandy is the best, and when you simply can't hope to cover up all of the taste, fall back on anisette or mint schnapps. Finally, don't be afraid to add herbs purely for their taste and not their medicinal value. A tablespoon of angelica in anything gives it a sweeter, earthier and mellower taste. Mints always come through loud and clear. And traditional culinary herbs, such as thyme, oregano, and basil all add their unique, pungent flavor to herbal alcohol. With a little bit of creativity and some experimentation, you can turn your liquor cabinet into something both exotic and useful

Recommended Reading

Culpepper, Nicholas.Culpepper's Complete Herbal. Bloomsbury Books, London: 1992.

Cunningham, Scott. Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Press, Minnesota: 1985.

Jonas,& Wayne B and Jennifer Jacobs. Healing with Homeopathy. Warner Books, New York, 1996.

Junius, Manfred M. The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy. Healing Arts Press, Vermont: 1993.

Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam, New York: 1974

Miller, Richard Alan. The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs. Destiny Books, Vermont: 1983.

Patnaik, Naveen. The Garden of Life. Doubleday, New York: 1993.