Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or Chamaemelum nobile) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family native to southern and eastern Europe. Its sweet scent, soft, floral taste, and mild sedative properties make it well-suited for tea time or happy hour.

The word chamomile comes from the Greek words __________ (khamaim_lon) meaning earth apple and _____ (khamai) meaning on the ground. Similar in appearance to daisies, chamomile flowers can facilitate the growth and health of surrounding plants. When consumed, often in the form of tea, chamomile flowers are known to reduce anxiety and act as mild sedatives due to the presence of two active ingredients: chrysin and apigenin, a component often found in alcohol. Before hops were introduced, chamomile was often used to flavor beer, and today is used by some craft breweries as a unique flavoring agent.

While there are a number of plants in the chamomile family, Roman and German chamomile are the most commonly used varieties. Despite being different species, the two types of chamomile are remarkably similar in both effect and appearance. Their differences lie instead in their growing patterns and taste; Roman chamomile is perennial and distinctly bitter, while German chamomile grows annually and has a pleasant, sweet flavor. Roman chamomile was given its name not because it is native to the city, but because an English botanist first discovered the species growing in the Coliseum while vacationing in Italy. He brought the bright bud back to England, where it is now cultivated widely.

In Culpeper's Complete Herbal, a definitive guide to herbal medicine dating back to 1653, English botanist Nicholas Culpeper describes chamomile's uses in excruciating detail:

"The bathing with a decoction of camomile taketh away weariness, easeth pains to what part of the body soever they be applied. It comforteth the sinews that are overstrained, mollifieth all swellings: It moderately comforteth all parts that have need of warmth, digesteth and dissolveth whatsoever hath need thereof, by a wonderful speedy property."

Culpeper's passage on chamomile goes on and on, showcasing the botanical as a true panacea known to soothe any and all ailments. Throughout literature, chamomile is held up as a symbol of youth, with references spanning from Shakespeare to The Tale of Peter Rabbit. In Henry IV, Shakespeare writes, "For though the camomile, the more it is trodden on the faster it grows, so youth, the more it is wasted, the sooner it wears."

As much as Culpeper and Shakespeare would like to think of chamomile as the botanical equivalent of the fountain of youth, we love it not for its time-bending properties but for its taste. One of the three botanicals in AMASS Botanic Vodka, chamomile offers a soft, floral flavor that plays nice with bright lemon and marigold blooms.

Found in: AMASS Botanic Vodka