Alchemy, Distillation & Perfumery at PRS
On the evening of September 22, I co-taught a class about alchemy, distillation, and perfumery with the great Eliza Emerald Swann. Eliza taught the history, while I demonstrated the distillation of lavender flowers for hydrosol. We had such a lovely turnout, and everyone in the audience went home with 1oz of hydrosol. It was a co-distillation of two different kinds of lavender for a more dimensional “perfume-like” blend, with a verbena-like top note and a softer round finish.
Our on-stage setup, with the final hydrosol. This is a Portuguese copper still, sealed with rye paste. The rye paste method is traditional, and is meant to mimic a seal made from mud.
“How does Nature learn to give and to receive? Metals give and plants receive. The stars give and flowers receive. The sky gives and the earth receives. Thunder yields flashing fire. All things are interwoven and unravel. All things mingle and fuse. All things mingle and disperse. All things moisten and dry. Inhalation and exhalation are the method of Nature. Nature rotates and cycles back upon itself. ”
