Spearmint: From the Garden to the Still Room

There are some plants in the garden that are so familiar we hardly give them a second thought. Spearmint is one of them.

Fresh, green and wonderfully aromatic, Mentha spicata has been grown and used for generations — in gardens and kitchens, in teas and traditional preparations, and simply for the pleasure of its unmistakable scent.

Here on our farm, we grow spearmint for another reason as well: to distill.

When the plants are lush with growth, we harvest the leafy stems and bring them into the still room, where steam gently carries their aromatic compounds through the distillation process. What emerges is our Spearmint Hydrosol — a beautifully simple botanical water with the fresh, cooling character of the plant from which it came.

A Simple Botanical Ingredient

Long ago, preparations made from a single herb were often referred to as simples. We still like to think of our hydrosols in much the same way.

Our Spearmint Hydrosol contains one ingredient: the aromatic water collected when the spearmint we grow is steam distilled on our farm. There is no added fragrance, alcohol or preservative.

Just plant and water — gathered and distilled.

A Little Cooling Relief

Spearmint has a naturally fresh character that makes its hydrosol particularly lovely during the warmer months.

Keep a bottle nearby to mist over your face and neck after time outdoors, after gardening or exercise, or whenever your skin feels warm and in need of refreshing. It can also be used as a simple facial toner or body mist.

We particularly enjoy it on those hot Okanagan afternoons when everything — ourselves included — seems ready for a little cooling down.

A Botanical Pick-Me-Up

There is something about the crisp green aroma of spearmint that feels immediately awakening.

A light mist can be wonderfully refreshing during travel, after a long day, or during that familiar mid-afternoon lull. It is a small ritual, but sometimes the simplest things are the nicest: close your eyes, mist lightly, and breathe.

From One Plant, Many Possibilities

Spearmint Hydrosol can be enjoyed entirely on its own, but it can also be layered with other botanical waters.

Pair it with lavender for something softer and more calming, with sage for a fresh herbal combination, or experiment with other hydrosols to create an aromatic palette that is entirely your own.

One plant. One distillation. One beautifully simple ingredient.

Grown, harvested and distilled on our farm.