In the distillery garden we grow botanicals for flavour, function, and ecological balance. Among the hedgerow plants and roots, one stands out as both ancient medicine and future spirit. Valerian often gets dismissed for its wild smell, yet it is one of the most powerful healing plants in European herbal tradition. Hugh is now exploring how it could shape future Downton releases.
Valerian officinalis has been used for over a thousand years across Britain, Europe, and the Alps. It grows quietly in damp meadows and woodland edges, sending up soft pink white flowers that draw bees and hoverflies. Below ground it builds a dense, aromatic root system that stores the compounds which made it famous.
Roots
The root is where valerian earns its reputation. It contains valerenic acids and related compounds that act directly on the GABA system in the brain. This lowers stress hormones, relaxes the nervous system, and improves sleep quality. Herbalists have long used valerian for insomnia, anxiety, muscle tension, digestive cramps, and headaches. It does not sedate. It brings the body back into balance.
Flowers
These start white but turn pink as it grows. The flowers are gentle and lightly aromatic. In teas and infusions they have mild calming and anti inflammatory properties. In the garden they play another role by attracting pollinators that improve fruit set in nearby orchard trees and hedgerow plants.
Leaves and stems
These parts contribute to the plant’s resilience. They protect the root and help stabilise soil, making valerian a valuable companion plant in a mixed botanical garden. Its deep roots improve drainage and draw up minerals that benefit neighbouring plants.
In spirits and liqueurs, valerian has a long and serious history. Traditional monastery elixirs, alpine bitters, and old European digestifs use it for its grounding bitterness and its functional calming effect. In alcohol, its sharp musky edge softens into something earthy and complex, adding depth and structure to botanical blends.
What makes valerian exceptional is that it works on every level. It supports the nervous system, calms the gut, anchors volatile aromas in spirits, feeds pollinators, and strengthens the soil it grows in.
Valerian is not a garden oddity. It is a medicinal, ecological, and aromatic powerhouse. In time, it may well become one of the quiet signature botanicals behind a future Downton spirit.
