Reishi Tincture, 30 ml

Reishi in a dropper bottle. Mushroom Dispensary dual extracts the fruiting body in hot water and ethanol and bottles the reishi tincture in 30 ml of amber glass with a glass pipette: 1 ml per serving, 30 servings. Reishi has a woody, bitter taste, so you may prefer it stirred into a stronger drink than taken neat under the tongue.

Grown in Finland, bottled in Sheffield. Traditionally an evening mushroom.

What it is

A tincture is an extract kept as a liquid rather than dried to a powder. The fruiting body goes through the same hot water and ethanol dual extraction as the brand's capsules, and the combined extract stays in solution. The advantage is control over the serving and the freedom to add it to anything you drink; the disadvantage with reishi in particular is that you taste it.

Reishi is among the most bitter mushrooms in common use. Under the tongue the tincture is sharp and woody; in a cup of strong tea, a cacao or a coffee it fades into the background. The brand's own suggestion is a stronger drink, and that is the honest advice.

The brand does not print a milligram-of-mushroom figure per millilitre for the tincture, as it does with the 10:1 ratio on the capsules, so we do not give one. It states fruiting body only, dual extract, and a 1 ml serving.

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. Reishi is traditionally taken in the evening, so a cup of herbal tea or a hot cacao before bed is the usual carrier.

• 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

• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) fruiting body, dual extracted in hot water and ethanol
• Alcohol base
• 30 ml, glass pipette

Ganoderma lucidum is the lacquered red-brown bracket fungus of hardwood stumps, known as lingzhi in China. The fruiting body is the shelf itself. Ethanol extracts alcohol-soluble compounds and keeps the tincture stable without refrigeration.

Who it's for

People who want reishi in the evening but do not want to swallow capsules, and people who like to adjust a serving. It suits anyone who already makes a hot drink before bed and can stir the tincture into it. It is also the format for someone who takes several tinctures and keeps them together on a shelf.

If you do not want to taste reishi at all, the same brand's capsules are the way round it. If you want to avoid alcohol, the capsules are also the alcohol-free option.

Pairs well with

The Mushroom Dispensary reishi capsules avoid the taste and state a 10:1 ratio. The lion's mane cacao or the lion's mane hot chocolate are evening drinks strong enough to carry the tincture. The brand's lion's mane tincture is the morning counterpart. Browse the whole mushrooms department and our new in collection.

Frequently asked questions

How do I take reishi tincture?

1 ml under the tongue for about 30 seconds, or stirred into a drink. Given the bitterness, most people choose the drink.

What does reishi taste like?

Woody and bitter, with the warmth of the alcohol base. It disappears into a strong tea, cacao or coffee.

Why take it in the evening?

Tradition. Reishi has long been taken as an evening mushroom, and the brand follows that. The time is yours to choose.

Does it contain alcohol?

Yes, it is an alcohol-based tincture. The capsules are the alcohol-free alternative.

Our reishi guide covers what reishi is, how it is extracted and why it tastes the way it does. 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.