How To Make Dual-Extracted Lion’s Mane Tincture

Lion’s Mane mushroom is known for boosting brain health and providing mental clarity. Making Lion’s Mane tincture is a great way to preserve the benefits of the mushroom and make them easy to consume.

For most people, it can feel scary to introduce mushrooms into our daily diet because we’re not as familiar with them as we are with herbs or flowers. But mushrooms offer a range of incredible health benefits from brain health to reducing stress to giving us energy. Lion’s Mane is particular is a fungi that can help to improve our brain function, reduce brain fog, and help increase mental clarity.

Lion’s Mane mushrooms, scientifically known as Hericium erinaceus, and named for it’s mane-like appearance, have a long and rich history of medicinal use, particularly in traditional Asian medicine. It has been used for over a thousand years to treat digestive issues, improve spleen function, and promote overall health and longevity.

More recently, there has been vast scientific interest in the mushroom. Researchers believe that Lion’s Mane can stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) production which is responsible for the brain boost that people report when consuming it. 

Benefits of Lion’s Mane

Neuroprotective – Compounds in Lion’s Mane, such as hericenones and erinacines, promote the creation of nerve growth factor (NGF). This is crucial for the growth of brain cells, and the maintenance, and survival of the neurons in our brain. 

Improve memory and cognitive function – NGF can help to enhance our memory and cognitive function and can potentially help protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

Improve overall cognitive function – Studies suggest that Lion’s Mane may reduce mild memory issues, increase focus, and improve general cognitive function.

Reduce inflammation – Lion’s Mane can help reduce inflammation in the body due to compounds like polysaccharides, hericenones, and erinacines. These help the immune system by helping the body become more effective at controlling inflammation. 

Contains cleansing antioxidants – Lion’s Mane has potent antioxidants. One study found that Lion’s Mane has therapeutic potential against human leukemia. Another study found that the fungi can be helpful in reducing the size of colon and lung tumors.

Immune system support – The fungi can help to make your immune system more active and increase its efficiency.

Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression – Possibily due the neuroprotective compounds in Lion’s Mane, it can be helpful in reducing anxiety and despresion sysmptoms.

And more… Lion’s Mane is an incredible fungi and tincturing it makes the beneficial compounds more easily accessible and able to be stored long-term.

What is the duel extraction method?

Dual-extraction in tincture-making is when you use both alcohol and water to extract the beneficial compounds in plant materials. Mushrooms and fungi tend to have compounds that are not effectively extracted by alcohol alone. By combining both extracts, a dual-extraction tincture contains a broader spectrum of beneficial compounds, and maximises the medicinal potential of a tincture made with mushrooms.

Fresh or dried Lion’s Mane?

While you can use either, I like to use dried Lion’s Mane to make a tincture because you can pack more of it into the glass jar to make the tincture (making your final tincture stronger).

How to make duel-extracted Lion’s Mane mushroom tincture

Tools

An airtight container with a plastic lid – I use a glass mason jar with parchment paper between the metal lid and tincture or extraction to prevent the alcohol from corroding the metal.

Small amber glass bottles with dropper tops

Cheesecloth, or coffee filter

A small funnel

A saucepan or crockpot with lid

A coffee grinder – if your mushroom is whole

Supplies

Dried Lion’s Mane mushroom

80-proof vodka (or 40% alcohol)

For complete measurements, see the printable recipe card below.

Instructions

I buy Lion’s Mane online from a trusted source but if you have foraged and dried your own, the first step is to cut it into chunks or grind it up into a powder. This is to maximise the surface area of the mushroom that is exposed to the alcohol. I like to use a coffee grinder to do this, but you could also try a food processor or blender. 

I like to make small batches of this tincture for a few reasons. The first is because the final tincture has water in it, which isn’t as good of a preservative as alcohol. I don’t want to risk the tincture spoiling before I use it all. The second reason is that it’s difficult to strain off the ground mushroom in the final tincture completely. Plant material left in a tincture, especially one made partially from water, will spoil the tincture quickly. 

Divide the Lion’s Mane you plan to tincture in half. Set half of it aside – this will be for our water extraction.

Begin the alcohol extraction process by adding the other half of the Lion’s Mane to a clean glass jar. Leave enough room in the jar for about 1 inch of alcohol to sit above the mushroom. You don’t have to fill the jar completely, but if you do, you need to leave enough room for the alcohol to sit above the mushroom. I used powered mushrooms so my brew is cloudy when I add the vodka.

Cover the mushroom with alcohol completely. Use enough alcohol to cover the mushrooms by about 1 inch.

Add a clean lid and set it in a cool, dark place for 6-8 weeks to steep.

After 6-8 weeks, use cheesecloth or a coffee filter to strain off the tincture. This can be a slow process because the ground mushroom is so fine. You can always hang the cheesecloth on something and allow it to slowly strain over a day. If you’re using powdered mushroom like me, I recommend using a coffee filter. The powder went right through my cheesecloth!

After it is strained off, measure how much alcohol you have (a cup, ½ a cup, etc). Once you’ve measure how much you have, set it aside.

To begin the hot water extraction process, add 3 times the amount of alcohol you have of water to a saucepan. For example, if you have 1 cup of alcohol, add 3 cups of water to the pan.

Take the Lion’s Mane mushroom that was steeping in the alcohol and add it to the water in the saucepan. 

Add the remaining, unsteeped half of the Lion’s Mane you want to tincture to the saucepan.

Bring the temperature up so the mixture is warm, but not hot. Do not let it boil. Add the lid and keep the mixture at this warm temperature for 8-10 hours. You can also use a crockpot to do this. Keep the temperature at about 130 Fahrenheit or 54 Celsius.

Strain off the mushroom solids using cheesecloth or a coffee filter (again I recommend a coffee filter for straining off powdered mushrooms!)

Combine the water from the saucepan and alcohol from the alcohol-extraction in a 3:1 ratio so your final tincture is about 30% alcohol.

Use a funnel to add the tincture to an amber glass dropper bottle. Store any excess is a glass jar with a lid away from direct sunlight.

Make sure to date and label the final tincture so you don’t forget what it is!

How much Lion’s Mane tincture to take?

I have a daily routine of taking 2 droppers full every morning. Start by taking a small amount and work your way up.

How long does Lion’s Mane tincture last?

While a purely alcohol-based tincture has a very long shelf life, this tincture includes water content. Given the water content, it’s important to do your best to strain off the plant material before bottling it – plant material can make the tincture spoil more quickly. I like to use this tincture within a year.

How to consume Lions Mane Tincture

Directly – Add the dosage directly under your tongue and let it sit there for 30 seconds before swallowing. This method allows for quick absorption into the bloodstream, providing faster effects.

Diluted in a drink – Add the dosage to a glass of water, juice, or even coffee. This can help dilute the taste if the tincture is too strong to take on its own.

Disclaimer – I’m not a medical professional and do not intend to offer medical or health advice in any content I create. I offer information for educational purposes and, as always, get your physician’s advice or the advice of your healthcare practitioners before trying a new herbal remedy. There are always possible unintended consequences of trying a new herbal remedy such as an allergic reaction or unexpected side effects like interactions with other medication. 

What to read next

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Easy Dual-Extraction Reishi Mushroom Tincture Recipe

How To Make Sage Tincture (DIY Herbal Recipe)

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