If you have been into a quality bar lately, you might have noticed a series of glass jars with an amber liquid in them.  These jars are often filled with tinctures of different concentrated flavors of herbs and spices that the bartender will use to flavor drinks.  Tinctures are also used for the health benefits derived from the particular herbs or spices used and also known as liquid herbal extracts.

Essentially, tinctures are created when herbs are placed in alcohol and allowed to sit for several days, or even up to several months.  Vodka is the usual alcohol of choice in the preparation of tinctures, although brandy or rum may also be used.  If using alcohol is an issue, apple cider vinegar or glycerin might be substituted.  Alcohol functions as a preservative, so you may let the bottles of tincture sit out on a shelf, but if you use vinegar the resulting liquid must be refrigerated throughout the process.

The amount of herbs to alcohol varies according to individual recipes, but in general a good place to start is to combine one ounce of herbs with four ounces of vodka.  Be sure to use enough alcohol so that the herbs are completely submersed in the liquid.  Using the tincture to flavor drinks, you might select to use lemon peel, lavender or allspice for their distinctive tastes that they will bring to your drinks.

You will need to let the tincture sit in a dark place in a cabinet for a couple of weeks or longer so that the herbs are truly macerated by the alcohol.  The bottle should be briskly shaken at least once a day.  After it is quite strongly scented, you may strain the solids from the liquid, and add some sugar syrup to the alcohol-based tincture.  You may find that you will need to strain the liquid several times using a very fine mesh with cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove every last bit of little fibers of the herbs.  It may then be stored in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.  To use the tincture, you will use an eyedropper to place drops in tea, juice, water or drinks.

You may experiment with the type of natural herbs used in terms of dried or fresh.  If using fresh, be sure to chop them before you place them in the jar and cover with alcohol.  If you’re using dried herbs, it is best to use them in a cut and sifted form – smaller pieces will allow the liquid to penetrate quickly, but unlike powder it will still be easy for you to strain later.  An alcohol-based tincture can last up to two years if properly prepared and stored.