Description
Designed for beginners, this workshop is a fantastic introduction to distillation and aromatics. It covers the basic processes for distilling hydrosol, essential oils, and spirits. During our interactive demonstrations, you will gain hands-on distilling experience and learn through touch, taste, and smell. We’ll show you how to turn your favourite plants and botanicals into aromatic products using traditional copper stills, and you’ll come away with the knowledge, practical skills, and confidence to start distilling yourself.
**All participants will also receive one free online Foundation Distillation Course of their choice (valued at $175). All our online courses come with lifetime access, so you can refer back to them whenever you need, making them a great learning resource. Feel free to explore your online course before or after your workshop with us.
Saturday 2 November, 10am–4pm
The morning will focus on hydro and steam distillations, using our copper caskhood and column alembic stills. Our afternoon is dedicated to spirit distillations and features an eau de vie distillation in the copper alquitar and a small stripping run of pre-prepared wash.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
- Enjoy a drink on arrival as we begin the day with herbal infusions and a discussion of the energetics of water and solubility.
- Hydro distilling—How to distil a seasonal hydrosol. A practical, hands-on distillation of hydrosol in a copper caskhood still. Includes plant selection and harvesting, how to pack your still, when to stop, yields, pH, filtering and safe storage.
- What is hydrosol? A discussion of its properties and uses in food, drink and skincare.
- Steam distilling—How to distil essential oil. A practical, hands-on steam distillation of a seasonal essential oil in a copper column alembic still. Includes plant selection and preparation, packing the column, yields, collection, separation, bottling and storage.
- BREAK FOR LUNCH
- Distilling alcohol—How to prepare alcohol from wine (to use as a base for herbal tincture or fruit liqueurs). A practical, hands-on distillation of eau de vie using a 3L copper alquitar. This is an introduction to the process of making alcohol—useful for beginners, herbalists and perfumers.
- Includes set up, safety, calculating yields, making cuts, and measuring alcohol levels for safe, clean distilling.
- We end the day with a demonstration of a small stripping run from a prepared sugar wash, using a modern hybrid still.
Getting here: Ferries depart from downtown Auckland, and take approximately 45 minutes. If you are not staying on the island, we recommend an 8am ferry to arrive in plenty of time. You can easily bus to the venue—public buses depart from the ferry terminal at Matiatia. All three buses (50A, 50B and 502) will get you here—just ask your friendly driver which stop to get off at to get you to Moa Ave.
Lunch: The Lab is an easy 10 minute walk from the shops and cafés of Oneroa Village.
