About us
A distiller’s curiosity.
A reader’s questions.
Tincture.recipes is a project from Scott Galbiati, the distiller behind Culinary Solvent. The aim is simple: make botanical knowledge easier to find, compare and understand.
Scott Galbiati
Distiller · Founder · Curious readerThe person behind the project
Meet Scott.
Scott Galbiati is the founder of The Northern Maine Distilling Company and the person many Culinary Solvent readers know as Mr. Tincture. His work connects the practical craft of distilling with a lasting interest in how people use botanical ingredients.
For this rebuild, he wants to bring older herbals, preserved books and present-day research into one useful reference. The work is to compare what sources say, show where they agree or conflict, and explain what remains uncertain.
That means being curious about traditional knowledge while being careful with identity, evidence and safety.
Meet Scott at Culinary SolventIn Scott’s words
A project
long in the making.
From Scott’s opening Facebook group post, supplied for this draft.
What is https://tincture.recipes ? it's a project of sorts, one I've wanted to put together for a long time... I hope that one day it can become a resource of the highest order...drawn from ages (literally) of observation, experimentation, and documentation... A collection of knowledge that was once handed down habitually, then orally, then scientifically...then dismissed...but not forgotten. In an age of "who to trust", this project and associated group community is intended to assemble the old school knowledge of herbology and traditional herbal remedies with the current scientific research and understandings, presented in 1 public place online so that we all may evaluate what is "known" to our current personal health situation and wellbeing objectives.
This is the project’s mission, not a claim that historical remedies are proven treatments. The research will need to make evidence, uncertainty and safety visible.
Our sister project
The Northern Maine
Distilling Company.
Brewer, Maine
Culinary Solvent is made by The Northern Maine Distilling Company. Scott and Jessica own and operate the company in Brewer, Maine. CulinarySolvent.com launched in 2015.
Tincture.recipes is a sister project, with a broader research purpose. When a preparation calls for suitable alcohol, organic Culinary Solvent can be discussed in that context. A preparation that does not call for alcohol should remain that way.
Our connection to the product is part of the story. It does not determine what the botanical evidence says.
Editorial direction
Let the sources
do the talking.
The following is the proposed direction demonstrated by this preview. Detailed ingredient and recipe reviews are still to come.
- 01
Identify the ingredient.
Keep the species, plant part and preparation visible. A familiar common name is a starting point, not a complete identification.
- 02
Show where the information comes from.
Name historical authors, editions and pages. Link to modern research and safety references so readers can follow the reasoning.
- 03
Keep history and evidence distinct.
A historical report, a laboratory finding and a human study answer different questions. Their limits should remain clear.
- 04
Respect the preparation.
Choose methods on the strength of the evidence and the intended purpose. Do not force alcohol into a preparation or claim an exact optimum without support.
Historical uses do not establish present-day safety or effectiveness. Discuss medicinal use with a qualified health professional, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are considering use for a child.