Oils, Perfumes, and Flavors... Oh My!
By Alchemist G.G. Wilkins
Distiller, Entrepreneur, and Troublemaker
Pittsfield, New Hampshire
Most folks hear the word "still" and immediately think of moonshine.
That is because most folks only know half the story.
The truth is that a copper still is one of the most versatile tools ever created. Long before I found myself making headlines, stamping coins, practicing medicine, chasing inventions, and occasionally attracting the attention of the authorities, distillation was already being used to create perfumes, medicines, botanical extracts, flavors, and essential oils.
Every man has a bear inside him. Some men use that bear to build. Others use it to destroy. I've always preferred building things.
One of the greatest joys of distillation is taking something ordinary and revealing what was hidden inside it all along. A rose becomes perfume. Lavender becomes oil. Cinnamon becomes flavor. A field full of plants becomes a cabinet full of possibilities.
Most people know what rose perfume smells like. Very few stop to think about how that fragrance found its way into the bottle.
The answer is distillation.
For centuries, craftsmen have used steam and water to extract valuable oils from flowers, herbs, roots, bark, and seeds. These oils have been used in perfumes, soaps, medicines, cosmetics, flavorings, incense, and countless other products.
The process itself is surprisingly simple.
Steam passes through plant material, carrying with it the aromatic oils hidden inside. As the vapor cools, the oils and water separate, revealing nature's concentrated essence. It is part science, part craftsmanship, and a little bit of magic for those who appreciate such things.
There are hundreds of plants that contain useful oils. Some hide their treasures in their flowers. Others keep them buried in their roots, seeds, leaves, or bark.
Rose oil has long been prized by perfumers.
Lavender has been used for fragrance and traditional herbal preparations.
Clove oil has been valued for generations.
Cinnamon brings both aroma and flavor.
Parsley, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon balm, pine, cedar, and countless others offer their own unique properties.
The possibilities are nearly endless for the curious mind.
I've always believed that the world belongs to people who refuse to accept things at face value. The average man walks past a patch of lavender and sees a flower. The inventor sees perfume. The entrepreneur sees opportunity. The distiller sees possibility.
That is the difference.
The newspapers called me many things over the years. Doctor. Promoter. Entrepreneur. Distiller. Troublemaker.
They were all correct.
Because the people who move the world forward are rarely content to leave things alone.
Whether your interest lies in perfumes, essential oils, botanical extracts, flavors, soaps, cosmetics, or the ancient art of distillation itself, a quality copper still opens the door to possibilities that most people never imagine.
The truth is that a still was never just about spirits.
It was always about discovery.
And there is still plenty left to discover.
— Alchemist G.G. Wilkins
Pittsfield, New Hampshire