An open notebook with handwritten notes, a brass tincture dropper, dried gentian root, fresh rosemary, and a linen cloth on a worn oak counter

Plants,
prepared
properly.

A small apothecary. Tinctures, soaps, teas and bitters, made by hand in small batches. Consultations with the herbalist.

Enter the apothecary

Plants, prepared
properly.

A small apothecary. Tinctures, soaps, teas and bitters, made by hand in small batches. Consultations with the herbalist.

Enter the apothecary

Weathered hands cradling freshly dried gentian root on a wooden workbench

The herbalist

Dr. Adam Smith. Naturopathic doctor, Charlotte.

Adam founded the practice in North Carolina with a focus on herbal medicine and dietary therapy. Almost everything in the shop is something he makes by hand, in a small workspace, with a notebook open on the counter.

People come to Adam with the things their doctor didn't quite know what to do with — low-grade gut trouble that's been going on for years, a sleep problem that hasn't responded to medication, recurring infections in the colder months. He takes a long history. He looks at the whole person. He writes a formula.

If you're not sure where to start, that's what the consultation is for.

About the practice

The apothecary.

Six small sections. Each one is built around a different way the plants do their work.

Medicine

Syrups and oils for when something's coming on.

Tinctures

Concentrated extracts, taken by the drop.

Bitters

For digestion and appetite, before meals.

Teas

Loose-leaf blends for the hour you want to slow down.

Soaps

Plant-based washes and hygiene, without industrial detergents.

Remedies

Sea moss, grounding sheets, and other specialty items.

A formula

Heartburn bitters

Before meals, to set the stomach up

Most heartburn medicine cuts acid. This formula does the opposite — it asks the stomach to produce more, before food arrives, so the food gets broken down quickly and doesn't sit.

Three drops on the tongue before you eat. The taste is sharply bitter. That's the whole point.

I dry the gentian root for six weeks before extracting it. The extract sits in brandy for twenty-eight days, gets pressed, and is then aged another two weeks before bottling.

See the formula →$34