Enter Rosemary Gladstar.  Her book is brilliant if you’re inspired by Harry Potter’s Potions class, and want to start concocting things in your own kitchen.

I adapted this recipe for a chocolate liqueur that uses the herb ‘damiana’ (ok, admittedly, I had to go buy this herb especially for this project, but it just sounded too delicious to pass up!)

Damiana is a restorative herb that is a gentle anti-depressant, helps you deal with stress/anxiety, and is also supposed to be an aphrodisiac!  Sounds perfect for an after dinner drink.

The key with liquors is that they just take time.  Letting them steep and mellow really improves the flavor.  Also, I learned again that packaging is SO important.   Straight out of the measuring cup this was tasty … but once I bottled it nicely, and added a name and a label, somehow it just tastes better to me.  Yikes, I’m really a child of the advertising age!

Chocolate Temptation Liqueur

(Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s Damiana Chocolate Liqueur)

1 oz. dried damiana leaves

2 cups brandy

1 1/2 cups filtered water

1 cup honey

vanilla extract

rose water

chocolate syrup

Method:

Put damiana leaves and brandy in a covered jar, let them soak for 5 days.  Shake daily, if you think of it.  Strain, reserving the liquid. (You just made a tincture!)

Soak these same leaves in the water for 3 days, strain and reserve the liquid.

Over low heat, warm the infused water and stir the honey in until it’s dissolved.  Remove from heat, add infused alcohol.

Add a splash of rosewater and vanilla extract.  Pour into a clean, pretty bottle (I usually fill bottles with boiling water for a few minutes first, as a sort of semi-sterilization).  Label the bottle.  Let it sit for one month or longer, for the flavors to develop.

To serve, take 1 cup of liqueur and add 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup and a splash more rosewater.  Serve in little cups straight or over ice. Yum!

Being lazy, I mixed the entire bottle’s contents of liquor with the syrup and rosewater at one time, and then rebottled it.  I think I decreased the shelf life of the liquor by doing this – will let you know!   The liquor mix (without chocolate syrup) should last quite awhile, at least a year.

Have you tried making flavored liquors at home?  I invented a few more that are still steeping, will share the results soon (a hawthorn berry and cinnamon in vodka, and another with dandelion and burdock in brandy).  Happy experimenting!

Tincture

But after my herbal medicine class this spring, I realized that tinctures are a great way to preserve and take herbs. They also feel more like you are taking traditional ‘medicine.’ They keep a long time, are easy to mix in combinations based on your needs, and end up creating a nice herbal ‘apothecary’ in your house (with your stash of glass bottles.)  Or, you can forget that they’re ‘tinctures’ and just make some tasty herbal liquors to serve to your friends!

Tinctures are super easy to make. You just need a few weeks of waiting time.

How to make an herbal tincture

Amanda’s Basic Tincture Method

You’ll need:  Your chosen herb (fresh or dried), vodka, labels, a clear glass jar with a lid, and a dark glass jar for storage.

1) Put the herb in the clear jar.  The amount is up to you.  With fresh herb, try to fill it 3/4 of the jar with chopped herb.  With dried herb, maybe 1/4 of the container.

2) Pour in vodka, to cover all of the herb, and ideally up to within 1/2″ inch of the top of the jar.  Put the lid on.

3) LABEL.  Yes, you think you’ll remember what the tincture is later, but trust me, you won’t.  You definitely want to include the herb name and date.  You may also want to include measurements of how much herb & vodka you put in, or where you got the herb from.

4) Place tincture out of direct sunlight and let sit for 2-3 weeks. Minimum time is 2 weeks.  The longer it sits, the stronger the tincture will be.  Remember to shake the jar whenever you think of it – maybe once a day.

5) Strain.  Strain the herbs out of the vodka, and put the vodka into a dark glass container (not plastic!).  Label this container too.

Et voila! You have a tincture!  It’s a nice idea to have some tinctures on hand, depending on what your household needs are.  For example, I like to keep thyme, echinachea and liquorice on hand for colds & the immune system.  Also some valerian for nights I can’t sleep (I mix it into tea).  I’m experimenting with some tinctures-as-liquors with liquorice, cinnamon, and dried berries… will post recipes as soon as they’re finished!

How do I use the tincture?

For health purposes, generally you take 5-10ml (about a teaspoon) of tincture at a time, mixed with a little water.  You can also add a splash to herbal tea.  As liquors, I usually sweeten the whole batch with some honey or fruit syrups, and then serve it in little cups.

Have you made a tincture before? What are your favorite tinctures to keep on hand?