Everything a copper-alembic owner wants to know, in one always-current online library.

The Distiller's Archive is the reference library we wished existed when we sold our first still. Nine parts, one library, yours for life. Access it any time from your CopperHolic account — it stays current as we add to it, with nothing to download or keep track of.

What you get

• The Codex — your complete owner's manual. Ten chapters covering still anatomy, first run, care & patina, workspace setup, the eight modes of distillation, reading the run, troubleshooting, kitchen-to-market, glossary, and an owner's registry.
• Run Calculator — a live interactive tool in your library. Pick mode, plant, still size. Get charge weight, water, time, expected yield, and cost per run. 9 modes × 42 plants × 3 still sizes.
• Plant Codex — 42 botanical datasheets. Binomial, family, yield range, hydrosol ratio, tincture ratio, seasonal window, troubleshooting, peer-reviewed source.
• Recipe Cards — 20 tested recipes. 6 hydrosols, 4 oils, 2 distilled waters, 3 spirits/eaux-de-vie, 2 tinctures, 1 perfume, 2 culinary waters.
• US Legal Primer — Federal (26 USC 5601, FDA, MoCRA 2022, DSHEA) + a dedicated page for every US state.
• International Legal Primer — UK, Ireland, EU, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan.
• Batch Log — 30 print-ready run sheets + CSV template for digital record-keeping.
• Temperature & Azeotrope Reference — Boiling points, azeotropes, steam-distillation head temperatures, altitude correction tables.
• Start-Here Guide — Your 30-minute path from unboxing to first run.

Works for every CopperHolic still

Scaled tables and calculator presets for the 5 L, 5-gallon, and 10-gallon alembics. Every recipe and yield range tuned for all three.

Covers everything a copper alembic can produce

Essential oils · Hydrosols · Distilled water · Spirits & eaux-de-vie · Tinctures · Perfumes / eaux-de-cologne · Culinary waters

Sourced, not guessed

Every boiling point from the CRC Handbook 102e and NIST WebBook. Every yield range from peer-reviewed literature (Lawrence, Tisserand & Young, Guenther, ISO standards). Every legal citation to the statute itself. Ranges where ranges are honest — single numbers lie.

Format & access

An online library inside your CopperHolic account — a live Run Calculator plus eight reference volumes. Read it on any device with a browser: Mac, Windows, Linux, iPad or phone. Every page is print-friendly when you want a copy at the workbench. Nothing to download, nothing to lose.

Who this is for

• Owners of a copper alembic still (any maker, any size)
• Aspiring distillers who want the real answers before buying a still
• Herbalists, perfumers, culinary creators, spirit-curious hobbyists
• Anyone who prefers a reference they own to a website they rent

Version & updates

Version 1.0, issued April 2026 — and kept current for life. When we add plants, recipes or revise the law, the Archive updates in place: no new file to fetch, no version to chase. What you open is always the current edition.

Please note: this is a digital product. All sales final. Distilling ethanol is illegal without a permit in most jurisdictions — the Legal Primers tell you exactly what the rules are where you live, but nothing in this product is a licence to break them.

How access works: after purchase, the Archive appears in your CopperHolic account. Sign in and open it any time at copperholic.com/pages/distillers-archive — updates are automatic, with nothing to re-download.