How To Make Tinctures

Tinctures

Tinctures are best defined as concentrated herbal extracts. However, for an extract to be considered a tincture, the solvent (also called a menstruum) used must be alcohol. Typically, herbalists prefer to use a neutral spirit to make tinctures.

There are countless herb pairings that make excellent tinctures, but these are a few of our favorite combinations to inspire your craft:

• Burdock & Chamomile – grounding and soothing
• Oregano & Ginger – warming and fortifying
• Peppermint or Spearmint – cooling and invigorating

Once your tincture is ready, you can take it directly by the dropper or dilute it into tea or water. Tinctures also shine in mixology, much like bitters—which are, in fact, a type of tincture—adding botanical depth to cocktails and mocktails.

How to Make a Tincture with Dried Herbs

When using dried herbs for your tincture, 80-90 proof alcohol (40-50% alcohol) will usually suffice to properly extract and preserve the active constituents in the plant material. If you’re using berries, a higher alcohol percentage (around 70%) will better extract the plant material. When creating tinctures, you need to carefully measure your weight-to-volume ratio. Usually, the ratios will be between 1:2 and 1:10, the most common ratios being 1:3, 1:4 or 1:5. It’s rare to make higher ratio tinctures, as saturation restrictions won’t let you get below a 1:2 ratio.

Before selecting a jar or vessel for your tincture, first calculate the ratio of plant material to alcohol. Once you’ve determined how much of each you’ll be using, you can choose a container that fits your needs. Pro tip: berries, barks, and some roots can expand to nearly double their dried size when reconstituted, so be sure to account for that extra volume.

Instructions:

1. Place your dried herbs in an appropriately sized jar and pour your alcohol over them until they’re fully covered.
2. Seal the jar tightly and put it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight for up to three weeks.
3. Shake the bottle daily to ensure all the plant matter is evenly distributed.
4. After several weeks, strain the plant matter out of your tincture and pour the liquid into a dark bottle.

Please note that most alcohol-based tinctures have a shelf-life of 3-5 years. Removing as much plant sediment as possible and storing your tincture properly will help extend the shelf life.

Tea Tinctures with Herbal Blends

If you’re new to crafting your own tinctures, consider starting with a premixed herbal blend—like our loose leaf herbal teas. Thoughtfully curated by experts, our blends take the guesswork out of balancing herbs, making them a simple and reliable starting point. Our tea shop has a huge selection of herbal blends for you to explore based on your needs.