The Alchemy of the Copper Still
For many people, there is an air of romance with certain age-old traditions that continue to endure the test of time. A perfect example is the copper still . Comprised of an oversized pot and long neck, the machine's antique-yet-futuristic aesthetic is greatly appealing to those who share an appreciation for its inherited secrets. The copper still is a contraption of elegant whimsy in which various organic plants, roots, leaves, and blossoms are gently steamed, their essential oils and waters slowly coaxed into waiting containers. As the aromatic botanicals give so freely of their healing and regenerative powers, artisan distillers give thanks and pay it forward to their buyers. Copper (Cu) is a fundamental element naturally existing in usable metallic form, displaying that distinctive reddish-orange color. Humans have been using this highly malleable metal since around 8,000 BCE. 4,000 years later, copper was first cast into molds in Mesopotamia, during the birth of m...