Alcohol:
1. Dissolves MOST, if NOT ALL, of the Constituents in MOST Herbs.
NOTE: There are a FEW Herbs such as Lobelia, that you would use 50 parts - Alcohol (100 proof - 50%) & 50 parts - Organic RAW Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (i.e. - Bragg's 5%) to make a Tincture. And in the case of Dr. Schulze's SUPER TONIC, you would use 100 parts - Apple Cider Vinegar (5%) to make a Vinegar-based Tincture.
2. Makes the Mucous Membranes in the Mouth MORE Permeable, so that the Herbal Constituents can pass through and into the Bloodstream MORE EFFICIENTLY, BYPASSING your Digestive System!
3. INCREASES the Shelf Life of the Herbal Constituents up to 50 years or more!
NOTE: Parts=volume (i.e. - tsp., tbs., cup, pint, ....)

Selection of Alcohol - Ethanol or Ethyl Alcohol is the form of Alcohol, that can be used by humans. The Proof listed on commercial Alcohol refers to the percentage of Ethanol, that the Alcoholic Beverage contains. The Proof is twice the Percentage, so that 80 "proof" means, that the mixture contains 40% Ethanol. The HIGHER the Alcohol content, that is used, the BETTER the Extraction will work. Ideally, 200 proof Ethanol would be BEST, except that Ethanol can NOT be distilled to this Proof, and so Benzene is used to remove the LAST vestiges of Water. This makes "PURE" Ethanol POISONOUS!!

Many People use EVERCLEAR (190 proof = 95%) Ethanol. EVERCLEAR (190 proof) has NO taste and is available ONLY in slightly over one-half of the 50 States (see below). A CLOSE 2nd choice is EVERCLEAR 151 (151 proof = 75%) or Bacardi 151 Rum (151 proof = 75%), which is a light amber liquid, that has a SWEET Taste. Some People will use NOTHING, but Korbel Brandy, because they LIKE the taste and some People use iced Russian Vodka. These "normal" Distilled Spirits are 40% to 50% Ethanol. Some People find that the HIGHER Proof Ethanols like EVERCLEAR (190 proof & 151 proof) and Bacardi Rum (151 Proof) burn under their Tongue TOO MUCH. If burning is a concern, then you may want to consider, using a HIGH quality 90-100 Proof Vodka (i.e. - Absolut, Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, Finlandia and Popov).

EVERCLEAR (190 proof) is available in the following States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois (limted areas), Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

NOTES: If you know for SURE that a particular State sells EVERCLEAR (190 proof) and it's NOT on my list above and/or if you know for SURE that a particular State doesn't sell EVERCLEAR (190 proof) and it's on my list above, then please email me (Tom) and let me know.
If you don't live in the states, that sell EVERCLEAR (see above) and you're interested in ordering EVERCLEAR (190 proof) online, please CLICK HERE.
I found-out recently, that the manufacturer of EVERCLEAR uses GMO corn to make their 190 proof alcohol! If you're interested in obtaining ORGANIC (non-GMO) Grain Alcohol to be used to make your tinctures, please CLICK HERE
Dr. Richard Schulze does NOT recommend Organic Grape Alcohol, because this particular form of Alcohol is NOT efficient enough to dissolve ALL of the alkaloids/constituents, that herbs contain.
Don't DILUTE the Alcohol, that you use to make Tinctures, to a mixture, which is LOWER than 40% [i.e. - 1 part 160 proof alcohol (80% alcohol) + 1 part distilled water = 2 parts 40% alcohol]
If you're INTERESTED in making your own Organic Alcohol for use in making Tinctures, please CLICK HERE and HERE.

Occasionally a few people have an emotional or spiritual aversion to consuming alcohol. About this aversion, I will make the following statements:

The base of the majority of my herbal formulae is mostly distilled water, but some do have a pure grain alcohol content. Grain alcohol dissolves and extracts certain important phytochemicals, plant chemicals that are necessary for different formulae to be effective. Therefore, it is better than just water alone. For example, the diosgenin in Discorea Villousa (wild yam) is only soluble in alcohol and not in water. The alcohol also helps the herbs to assimilate quickly into your body and preserves the formula, which gives it an almost indefinite shelf life (over 5 years, if not over 50 years).

The amount of alcohol per dose is so insignificant; there is more alcohol in some mouthwashes. The amount of alcohol in the average dose of tincture is equal to the amount of alcohol in a ripe banana. This dosage has been tested on people, who are alcohol sensitive with NO adverse reactions. It is also a SAFE amount for anyone in a 12 step program or Alcoholics Anonymous. If you're still concerned about the alcohol, you can place the tincture in a cup, pour boiling water into the cup, and the alcohol will evaporate within seconds.