Ashwagandha Root Tincture

Withania somnifera — ashwagandha, sometimes called winter cherry for the small red fruit it bears — is macerated here as whole root only, cut and dried before steeping in organic cane spirit until the liquid deepens to the color of strong tea. The root itself is dense and fibrous, tan through to a dull grey-brown when broken open, KSM-grade stock grown in the sandy soils of Rajasthan, where the plant has long been cultivated in rows rather than gathered wild from the scrub. In Ayurvedic practice ashwagandha is classed among the rasayana, the rejuvenating tonics taken to steady the body through long exertion or a hard season. It is traditionally used to help the body adapt to stress and to support an even, settled temper, taken the way a household might bank a fire before a cold spell arrives, a preparation step rather than a cure for the storm itself. One dropper, roughly thirty drops, in a little water, up to twice daily — morning to start the day grounded, or evening if the day has left you wound tight and unable to settle. The taste is bitter and rooty, closer to wet soil than to any of the sweeter tonic herbs, and is better cut with water than taken neat. Ashwagandha is traditionally used to support the body's response to stress; it does not treat or cure any condition, and it is not a substitute for medical advice or for rest itself.