Lion's Mane Tincture, 30 ml

A liquid take on lion's mane for anyone who would rather not swallow capsules. Mushroom Dispensary extracts the fruiting body twice, once in hot water and once in ethanol, and bottles the lion's mane tincture in 30 ml of amber glass with a glass pipette. One serving is 1 ml, so the bottle is 30 servings, taken under the tongue or stirred into a drink.

Grown in Finland, bottled in Sheffield. It is an alcohol-based tincture, which is what lets you vary how you take it.

What it is

A tincture is an extract held in liquid rather than dried to a powder. Here the dried fruiting body goes through the same hot water and ethanol dual extraction as the brand's capsules, and the result is kept as a liquid. The advantage of a tincture is control: you can take half a pipette or two, which a capsule does not allow, and you can add it to almost anything you drink.

The brand does not print a milligram-of-mushroom figure per millilitre for the tincture the way it prints 10:1 on the capsules, so we do not give one. What it states is the part used (fruiting body only), the method (dual extract) and the serving (1 ml). If a milligram figure matters to you, the capsules are the format with the number.

The taste is earthy and slightly bitter with the warmth of the alcohol. Under the tongue it is over quickly; in a drink it disappears into coffee, cacao or juice.

Mushroom Dispensary is a UK mushroom extract brand. Its mushrooms are cultivated in Finland and the extracts are bottled in Sheffield. Every product is a dual extract, made with hot water and then ethanol, from the fruiting body only, never mycelium grown on grain. Capsules are plant-based HPMC with no gelatine, grain, starch or filler, and everything is sealed in recyclable amber glass.

How to take it

1 ml under the tongue, held for around 30 seconds, then swallowed, or stirred into a drink. The glass pipette draws about 1 ml when squeezed once. It is an alcohol-based tincture, so if you would rather not taste the alcohol, stir it into juice, tea or a mushroom coffee. A tincture lets you adjust your own serving more easily than a capsule, which is the brand's main argument for it.

• 30 ml amber glass bottle with a glass pipette
• 1 ml serving, 30 servings per bottle
• Alcohol-based dual extract of the fruiting body
• Store closed, out of direct light; no refrigeration needed
• £19.99 works out at about 67p a serving

This is a food supplement and not a substitute for a varied diet or a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily intake. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under medical care, speak to your GP or pharmacist before use.

What's inside

• Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) fruiting body, dual extracted in hot water and ethanol
• Alcohol base
• 30 ml, glass pipette

Hericium erinaceus is the white, spined mushroom of hardwood forests. The fruiting body is the mushroom itself. Ethanol is used both to extract alcohol-soluble compounds and to keep the finished tincture stable at room temperature, which is why no refrigeration is needed.

Who it's for

People who dislike swallowing capsules, people who want to fine-tune their serving, and anyone who already drinks a morning coffee or mushroom coffee and would rather add lion's mane to it than take a separate pill. It suits a kitchen worktop or a bedside table, and the small bottle travels well.

If you want a stated milligram figure, the same brand's capsules print 10:1 and 1,000 mg per serving. If you want to avoid alcohol altogether, the capsules are the alcohol-free format.

Pairs well with

The Mushroom Dispensary lion's mane capsules are the same extract with a stated ratio. For something to drop it into, Brain Coffee is the lion's mane coffee and the lion's mane cacao the unsweetened chocolate drink. The brand's reishi tincture is the evening counterpart. See all formats under lion's mane and the wider mushrooms department.

Frequently asked questions

How do I take lion's mane tincture?

1 ml under the tongue, held for about 30 seconds, or stirred into a drink. The pipette draws roughly 1 ml with one squeeze.

What is a dual extract?

An extract made in two stages, hot water and then ethanol, so that both water-soluble and alcohol-soluble compounds end up in the bottle.

How much lion's mane is in each serving?

The brand does not print a milligram-of-mushroom figure for the tincture. It states fruiting body only, dual extracted, 1 ml per serving.

Does it contain alcohol?

Yes, it is an alcohol-based tincture. Stir it into a drink if you prefer not to taste it.

Our lion's mane guide explains the mushroom and compares tincture, capsule, powder and drink formats. Herbastore ships this product from the UK, with free UK shipping on orders over £40. Orders are packed by Herbastore UK, so if you are buying from more than one of our brands everything arrives together.