various tonics in glass bottles on a wooden table

Herbal Elixirs: A Guide to Making Your Own Medicinal Drinks

by Sue Mullett Author and Jade Harris Author

Over the years, the liquor shelves at bars and stores have become decidedly more populated with a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. But it may surprise you to learn that many of these new drinks were originally developed not for recreational but pharmaceutical purposes. Gin was thought to be a powerful anti-malarial elixir, while Benedictine monks created a tonic wine that was thought to be a panacea. In this creative book, learn how to make your own alcoholic herbal elixirs, whether you want to use them to treat your ills or just treat yourself. With step by step instructions for making tinctures, infusions, and decoctions, and how to create your own still, you'll be whipping up elixirs of your own in no time. For those living in the UK, this book also includes a seasonal foraging guide for spicing up your elixirs with ingredients from your own backyard. An excellent gift for others or for yourself.