Tinctures 101: Alcohol Infusions, Preservation & Bioavailability
This class explores the foundations of herbal tincture-making through the art and science of alcohol extraction. You’ll learn what tinctures are, why herbalists work with alcohol as a primary menstruum, and how this method preserves and extracts a wide range of plant constituents.
We move from theory into practice, exploring how to choose your alcohol, understand ABV, match extraction methods to different herbs, calculate your recipes, and create your own tinctures from fresh and dried plants. Through hands-on medicine-making, you’ll learn the full process from preparing your herbs to macerating, pressing, labeling, and storing your finished extracts.
This class bridges traditional folk herbalism with practical formulation skills, offering the tools and confidence to create your own herbal preparations and build a deeper relationship with the plants you work with.
Together we explore:
What tinctures are and why herbalists work with alcohol extracts
The role of alcohol as a solvent, preservative, and medicine carrier
How to choose alcohol types and ABV for different herbs
Fresh vs. dried herbs and how they affect extraction
Herb-to-menstruum ratios and recipe calculations
Shelf life, storage, dosing, and daily use of tinctures
Essential tools and equipment for home medicine-making
The complete tincture process:
Preparing and measuring herbs
Creating your menstruum
Maceration and extraction
Pressing and bottling your medicine
Labeling and tracking your preparations
Practical formulation skills:
Understanding water-soluble and alcohol-soluble constituents
Working with roots, leaves, flowers, and fungi
Creating simple, effective herbal extracts at home
Building your own personal apothecary practice
Class Description:
Learn to make your own tinctures from fresh and dried plants and fungi. In this class, we will discuss what tinctures are, why we work with them, and how to make them - step by step. Activate the herbal chemist within!
Teacher Bio:
Lindsay Chestnut is an herbalist, permaculture practitioner, astrologist, and educator whose work explores the relationships between plants, people, and the patterns that shape both earth and cosmos. Her teaching weaves herbal energetics, physiology, astrology, and hermetic philosophy, guiding students to recognize the patterns connecting plants, bodies, and cosmic cycles through storytelling, somatics, and experiential learning.
