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—including gin. 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.
*Single day ticket-holders will receive a complimentary online Foundation Distillation Course of their choice (valued at $175).
**Weekend ticket-holders will receive a complimentary Foundation Course Bundle (all three foundation courses, valued at $450).
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.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Saturday 26th July (10.30am–3.30pm)
DAY ONE—Hydro, steam and combo distillations, making hydrogels and botanical drinks.
- Getting started distilling—setting up your still, cleaning, sanitizing and post-distillation.
- ‘Open v closed distillations’ What’s your goal, experiential learning or hygienic and stable products?
- Hydro distilling (an open distillation)—A practical, hands-on distillation of hydrosol in a traditional copper alembic still. Includes plant selection and harvesting, how to pack your still, when to stop and yields.
- What is hydrosol? A discussion of its properties and uses in food, drink and skincare.
- How to make a hydrogel serum—using the products of this morning’s distillation.
- BREAK FOR LUNCH
- Steam distilling—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.
- Combo distilling—A closed, sanitised combination steam and hydro distillation in a copper caskhood still. Includes extra information on hygiene, pH, filtering and safe storage for your hydrosol.
- End with enjoying a zero ABV botanical martini—made using our distilled hydrosol as the spirit.
Sunday 27th July (10.30am–3.30pm)
DAY TWO—Alcohol for drinks, tincture and perfumery. Gin-making, eau de vie and aromatised drinks.
- Gin-making—How to structure gin blends: Includes a flavour explainer of our hero botanicals, recipes and ratios.
- We make a bespoke gin using classic gin botanicals with a local, regional twist.
- Jill demonstrates the technique of vapour-distillation using a 3L copper appliance still.
- 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
- Creating aromatic spirits using maceration and blending techniques.
- End the day with a cocktail with the gin and liqueur we’ve made in today’s workshop.
Sample bottles of everything prepared during the workshop will be available to take home.
Lunch: There are a number of cafés and restaurants within easy walking distance of the venue.
