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As a budding herbalist, I’ve gotten to know a special herb called damiana over the past several seasons. Damiana, native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, has been used as a sexual tonic for both men and women, and also to bring activity and energy to the lower abdomen. What fun!
One of the first things I noticed about damiana is that it boasts a flavor that does not immediately ingratiate itself to a western palette. The recipe provided here (and I offer my humble gratitude to the herbalists to developed this delightful recipe) brilliantly exalts damiana’s flavor and moderates any unpleasantness. That means we get to enjoy this herb in a super tasty form and have fun noticing how it affects us — my favorite way of getting to know any herb.
- 1 ounce damiana leaves
- 2 cups vodka
- 1 ½ cup spring water
- 1 cup honey
- dash of rose water (optional)
- dash of vanilla extract (optional)
- Soak the damiana leaves in the vodka for 5 days. Strain the leaves through cheesecloth, squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible. Reserve this alcohol extract and soak the strained leaves in the spring water for 3 days. Strain again through a cheesecloth, and again, squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. In a small pot over low heat, warm this water extract and add the honey until the honey is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, combine with the alcohol extract, rose water and vanilla extract and store in a clean, airtight container for 1-2 months.
- Before serving, pour the damiana liqueur into a beautiful vessel. Serve this liqueur to your sweetheart on a special occasion; 1 part damiana liqueur to 4 parts dry sparkling white wine.
Used In This Project:
- Tall Labels • I chose the “Persimmon” style in burgundy.
- Oval Hang Tags • I chose the “Persimmon” style in burgundy.
- Quadra Square Glass Bottles from Specialty Bottle.
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Lorraine is a medical student, writer and food lover living in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Sometimes, Lorraine realizes that, for the most part, her family, friends and adored acquaintances are just a bike ride away. This gives her sense of cozy giddiness! Mostly though, she gets psyched about creating and sharing food, particularly the kind of food that is accidentally healthy and delicious. See more of her work at SweetAllium.
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