Distil (v) distil, late 14C. from Old French distiller, from Latin distillare "trickle down in drops" from dis - "apart" + stillare 'drip, drop" from stilla "drop".
“One of the key conditions needed for the success of the alchemical art is a closed and air-tight hermetic vessel, or “container” which is able to withstand the pressure needed for the transformation and “cooking” of the prima materia".
Paul Levy, 2009.
I spent a fascinating day at the Jensen’s Gin distillery in Bermondsey, in search of my second alchemical vessel: the Still. The distllery is tucked away in a dark railway arch in a hard to find back street in South East London, but the space is filled with a glistening stainless steel and copper still surrounded by bins of fragrant botanicals: Juniper berries, Coriander seeds, Orris Root, Licorice and Angelica.
I am going on a long journey. I have found a still.