Choosing Herbs and Liquor for Making Medicinal Wine: A Guide

How to Choose Herbs and Liquor for Making Medicinal Wine

The efficacy of medicinal wine is diverse, and some people make their own medicinal wine at home to treat ailments such as rheumatism or shoulder periarthritis. So how do you choose the herbs and liquor for making medicinal wine?

Nowadays, many people have the habit of drinking medicinal wine and even making it at home. But do you know the correct method for making and consuming medicinal wine? Here, we'll provide some suggestions on how to choose the herbs and liquor for making medicinal wine.

Different liquors have little impact on the efficacy. Generally, choose the alcohol content and aroma according to personal preference. If you have a low tolerance for alcohol, choose liquor with an alcohol content of around 38 degrees. If you have a high tolerance, choose liquor with an alcohol content of around 52 degrees. Avoid using Qu liquor because it is fermented with Qu and its aroma mixes with the scent of the herbs, creating a strange smell that is unpleasant to the nose. Old Bai Gan or yellow wine is commonly used, as it has a mild and fragrant aroma when mixed with herbs.

The advantage of using white liquor is that it is less likely to spoil and can be stored for a long time. However, in the southern region, fruit wine is occasionally used to make medicinal wine because it has a lower alcohol content and is less stimulating to the body. When using fruit wine, the decoction method is usually employed - after boiling the herbs, remove the residue and mix the appropriate amount of herbal liquid into the fruit wine for consumption.

The herbs can be used whole or cut into 3-5mm slices or sections, but they are rarely ground into granules. Granules can make the medicinal wine cloudy and reduce its transparency. Additionally, granules dissolve quickly and have a high concentration. Only in cases where quick dissolution is required will large granules be used.

Recommended Recipes and Efficacy of Common Medicinal Wines

1. Qi and Blood Tonic Wine:

Ginseng 33g, Astragalus 25g, Angelica Sinensis 20g, Longan Meat 60g, Chuanxiong 15g, Rehmannia 45g, Goji Berries 20g. Soak in 50-degree rice wine for one month.

Function and Usage: Suitable for weak Qi and blood, pale and dull complexion, fatigue, or light and delayed menstruation. Take 10-20ml each time. Those who are not good at drinking alcohol can mix the wine into soup or use it to stew chicken.

Contraindications: Do not take if you have a cold, fever, ulcer disease, respiratory disease, or liver disease.

2. Strengthening Kidneys and Waist Wine:

Morinda officinalis 60g, Cistanche deserticola 45g, Eucommia ulmoides 33g, Dodder seed 20g, Ginseng 25g, Deer antler slice 18g, Gecko 1 pair, Eucommia bark 30g, Drynaria fortunei 15g, Rock sugar 75g. Soak in 50-degree rice wine for one month.

Function and Usage: Strengthen yang, invigorate waist, and tonify kidneys. Suitable for men with weak and sore waist and knees, impotence; can also be used for women with decreased sexual desire, low blood pressure, and weak waist. Take 10-20ml each time.

Contraindications: Do not take if you have a cold, fever, ulcer disease, respiratory disease, or liver disease. Avoid drinking if you have high blood pressure.

3. Promote Blood Circulation and Dissipate Blood Stasis Wine:

Notoginseng 85g (crushed or sliced), Angelica Sinensis 25g, Paeoniae Rubra 25g, Eucommia bark 33g, Moschus 28g, Chuanxiong 30g, Safflower 18g, Corydalis yanhusuo 35g, Cyperus 15g, Rock sugar 70g. Soak in 50-degree rice wine for one month.

Function and Usage: Activate blood circulation, dissipate blood stasis, and relieve pain. Suitable for old injuries, muscle and bone pain. Take 10-15ml each time. Can also be applied topically.

Contraindications: Do not take if you have a cold, fever, ulcer disease, respiratory disease, or liver disease.

4. Wind Dispelling and Collateral Activating Wine:

Bungarus multicinctus 90g, Chuanxiong 32g, Sichuan lovage rhizome 20g, Ginger 25g, Angelica pubescens 25g, Clematis chinensis 40g, Processed Sichuan wu 18g, Rhizoma cibotii 28g, Achyranthes bidentata 45g, Semen caulis millettiae 50g, Clematis armandii 40g, Rock sugar 100g. Soak in 50-degree rice wine for 1.5kg.

Function and Usage: Expel wind and activate collaterals, promote blood circulation and relieve pain. Suitable for chronic rheumatism with muscle and bone pain, especially during cold and humid weather. Take 2-3 times a day, 10-15ml each time. Can also be applied topically.

Contraindications: Do not take if you have a cold, fever, ulcer disease, respiratory disease, or liver disease. This medicinal wine contains Sichuan wu, so avoid excessive consumption.

5. Health and Fitness Wine:

Goji berries 90g, Polygonatum sibiricum 65g, Astragalus 32g, Angelica Sinensis 28g, Cordyceps 38g, Longan meat 60g, Cistanche deserticola 45g, Ginseng 25g. Soak in 50-degree rice wine for 1.5kg.

Function: Tonify Qi and blood, nourish the body, and promote longevity. It is a mild fitness wine that can give a rosy and radiant complexion. Take once in the morning and evening, not exceeding 30ml each time. For the elderly, 10-15ml is recommended.

Contraindications: Do not take if you have a cold, fever, ulcer disease, respiratory disease, or liver disease.

6. Traumatic Injury Wine:

Raw Sichuan wu 10g, Raw Radix Rubiae 10g, Raw Rhizoma Arisaematis 10g, Raw Pinellia ternata 10g, Centella asiatica 15g, Camphor 20g, Rhubarb 18g, Borneol 17g, Asarum 12g, Moschus 32g, 60% alcohol 1.5kg. Soak for one month.

Function: Activate blood circulation, disperse stasis, relax tendons and relieve pain. Apply externally to the painful area, 3-5 times a day. Do not apply to broken skin. Do not take internally.