Copper Pot
Hand-hammered by skilled artisans to ensure even heat distribution and robust flavor development. Copper's natural properties help remove unwanted compounds, resulting in a purer, smoother distillate.
Hand-hammered · Lead-free · Lifetime
Copper alembic stills, struck by hand.
Hand-hammered in 1.1mm pure copper for hydrosols, essential oils, botanical spirits, and distilled water. One object. A lifetime of runs.
From
$399.95
4.95 (21 reviews)
How one still is made
Copper, struck by hand.
Five stages, one object. The sequence is older than the printed word — a sheet of copper, raised by hammer into a vessel that turns plant into liquid.
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Charge the pot
Fresh plant material and spring water go into the copper boiler. For a hydrosol, aim for a 1:2 ratio. For essential oils, pack the charge tighter.
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Seal the helm
A rye-flour paste around the seam gives a perfect seal — the traditional method, still the best. It expands with the vessel and never cracks.
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Cool the worm
The worm coils sit in a bath of cold running water. A slow steady flow turns hot vapor back into liquid distillate.
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Bring to a gentle boil
Low and slow. First drop at the condenser outlet arrives 40–60 minutes in. Racing the heat scorches the charge.
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Collect, separate, bottle
Hydrosol first — water-soluble aromatics. On larger charges, a thin layer of essential oil floats on top; separate with a dropper. Bottle in amber glass, label, date.
Three parts, one instrument
How it works.
Every alembic still is three hand-hammered parts working in sequence. Heat rises, vapor climbs, liquid returns. The oldest known still design — now made one copper sheet at a time.
Onion Head
Fitted with a precise thermometer to keep a close eye on temperatures. The onion head's distinct shape harnesses and refines vapor, capturing aromatic essences before guiding them gracefully toward the condenser.
Condenser
A coiled copper tube swiftly cools vapor into a refined liquid. With consistent and efficient cooling, each drop emerges smooth, flavorful, and ready to be savored.
What you'll make
One still, a thousand runs.
A copper alembic is the most versatile distillation vessel ever made. Here are six things owners actually make — the same object, different botanicals, different heats, different hands.
Rose hydrosol
~750ML / RUNThe floral water left after the oil separates. Ready to use in skincare, cooking, or cocktails within three hours of pressing the petals.
Lavender essential oil
~10ML / RUNA 5L charge of fresh lavender yields 5–15ml of pure essential oil floating on top of the hydrosol. Separate with a dropper, bottle in amber glass.
Distilled water
~3L / RUNPure H₂O for batteries, aquariums, CPAP machines, and laboratory work. The 5-gallon still pays for itself fast if you buy distilled water by the jug.
Rosewater & orange flower
~1L / RUNThe foundation of Middle Eastern pastry, Mediterranean cocktails, and the purest face mist you've ever used. Store-bought rosewater is a shadow of what one run produces.
Gin botanicals
TTB PERMITJuniper, coriander, angelica, citrus peels redistilled in neutral spirit. The core craft of small-batch gin distilling — the copper is what softens harsh notes into something drinkable.
U.S. — federal permit required
Moonshine & eau-de-vie
TTB PERMITThe traditional alembic path — corn mash, fruit brandy, grappa. Copper binds the sulphur compounds that make bad moonshine harsh. Licensed distillers only.
U.S. — federal permit required
Alcohol distillation in the U.S. requires a federal TTB permit. We sell stills for the legal categories above — what you do after purchase is your responsibility.
Three stills, three lives
Pick the still that matches your run.
Same 1.1mm copper, same silver seams, same hands. The size is the whole question. Read the three and pick the one that matches the kind of runs you'll actually do.
AM-5
For the hydrosol hobbyist.
Weekend rose-petal runs. A litre of lavender water by Sunday lunch. The 5-litre alembic is the one most owners start with — light enough to live on a kitchen shelf, big enough for a proper charge. You'll finish a run before your coffee goes cold.
- Capacity
- 5 litres
- Batch runtime
- 2–3 hours
- Shelf footprint
- 34 × 22 cm
"First run, I had a half-litre of rose hydrosol in three hours. The copper smell fades after the second run — now it just smells like what I'm distilling."
— Marin C. — verified 5L buyer, Sonoma
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Ships within 10 business days · Lifetime guarantee
AM-20
For the working distiller.
The mid-size. 5 U.S. gallons gives you serious output without a commercial-grade heat source — a home gas stovetop handles it. This is the size most essential-oil distillers settle into: enough volume for real inventory, still manageable for a single pair of hands.
- Capacity
- 5 U.S. gallons (19L)
- Batch runtime
- 3–5 hours
- Shelf footprint
- 48 × 30 cm
"Upgraded from the 5L after a year. Same workflow, four times the yield. My lavender oil inventory finally caught up with demand."
— Deepak R. — verified 5-gal buyer, Portland
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Ships within 10 business days · Lifetime guarantee
AM-40
For the working kitchen.
10 U.S. gallons. This is the one distilleries, restaurants, and botanical studios buy. You'll need a proper burner and a steady hand on the heat curve — but when you nail it, you're pulling 3-4 litres of finished distillate from a single run.
- Capacity
- 10 U.S. gallons (38L)
- Batch runtime
- 5–7 hours
- Shelf footprint
- 62 × 40 cm
"We run two sessions a week for our tasting menu distillates. In eighteen months it's paid for itself six times over and hasn't needed a repair."
— Chef T.H. — verified 10-gal buyer, Chicago
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Ships within 10 business days · Lifetime guarantee
The material
Pure copper, 1.1mm thick. Lead-free. Forever.
Copper has been the vessel of distillation for eight hundred years for reasons that have nothing to do with nostalgia. It conducts heat twenty-five times faster than stainless steel, binds sulphur compounds chemically, and gives every distillate a softer finish. Every seam on a CopperHolic still is silver-soldered, food-safe, inspected by hand.
- Material
- Pure copper, 1.1mmHeavier than 0.8mm commodity stills. Hand-hammered onto steel forms, not stamped from sheet.
- Seam construction
- Silver-soldered, lead-freeFood-safe throughout. No lead, no tin-lead. Every seam inspected twice before shipping.
- Thermal conductivity
- 401 W/m·KTwenty-five times more conductive than stainless steel. Even heat, no hot spots, no scorched charge.
- Sulphur binding
- CatalyticCopper chemically binds sulphur compounds during distillation — the single biggest reason distillers choose it.
- Hours per still
- 37+ hoursFrom raw copper sheet to finished object. Every strike leaves a visible mark — we consider that the signature.
- Guarantee
- LifetimeBuilt to outlive the first owner. We repair what we make, for as long as we're here.
What owners say
Customers are saying.
★★★★★
I love it. It is what I expected!!
★★★★★
The quality, number one
Very, very nice. Thanks.
★★★★★
Quick delivery — high quality product
Just got my alembic still in the mail today. Each item was carefully packaged. The whole set-up looks amazing — the craftsmanship clearly shows itself in the details.
The questions real distillers ask
Not a star-river. The actual reasons.
Eight years of buyer emails condensed. If your question isn't here, write us — support@copperholic.com.
Is home distillation legal in the United States?
Distillation for hydrosols, essential oils, and distilled water is legal without any permit. Distilling alcoholic spirits for personal consumption requires a federal TTB permit. Our stills are sold for the legal categories — hydrosols, oils, botanical waters, rosewater, and distilled water. What you do after purchase is your responsibility.
How much hydrosol or oil will one run produce?
Rough rule of thumb: a 5L alembic yields around 750ml–1L of hydrosol and 5–15ml of essential oil per charge of fresh botanicals. The 5-gallon pulls 3–4L hydrosol. Actual yield depends entirely on the plant — rose and lavender yield generously, rosemary less so.
Which size should I buy?
If you're distilling for yourself, friends, family — the 5L. If you're building inventory for a small shop or farmers' market — the 5-gallon. If you're commercial or semi-commercial — the 10-gallon. Most owners outgrow their first size within 18 months. Buy up one if you're on the fence.
Is copper safe for food and medicine?
Yes. Our stills are lead-free and silver-soldered — no tin-lead solder anywhere in the vapor path. Copper is food-safe for distillation (acids and fermented mashes are the only category you'd avoid). In fact, copper chemically binds sulphur compounds, which is why professional distillers have used it for 800+ years.
How long is shipping?
Stills ship within 10 business days of order. U.S. orders arrive via FedEx Ground within 5 business days of shipment. International shipping is available at checkout — arrival 7–21 days depending on destination.
How do I care for it?
Rinse with water after each run. Polish the exterior once or twice a year with half a lemon and a pinch of salt — that's it. Copper develops a soft patina over time that you can either keep or buff off. The interior needs no special treatment; the distillation process itself keeps it clean.
What if my still arrives damaged?
We hand-inspect every still and pack them in double-walled crates with custom foam. In the rare event a still arrives damaged, email support@copperholic.com with photos within 7 days and we'll replace it free of charge — shipping included. Every still carries our lifetime guarantee.
Can I return it?
Yes — 30-day returns on unused stills in original packaging. We refund the full purchase price; you cover return shipping. That said, we've had one return in the last year. Most people know what they want when they find us.
Your first run
Distill something.
One still. A lifetime of runs. Most owners make their first hydrosol within the week their kit arrives — and never look back.
Shop the stillLifetime guarantee · Free U.S. shipping · 30-day returns
Copper alembic still
From
$399.95
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