Alembic

Alembic is a term that refers to a distillation apparatus used traditionally in chemistry and alchemy. It consists of two main parts: a vessel for heating the liquid (usually called the "boiler") and a condenser that cools and collects the vapor. Alembics were historically used to separate and purify substances, helping to produce alcohol or essential oils. The design has evolved over time, and the term is also used metaphorically today to describe any process that extracts essential elements from complex mixtures, reflecting a broader application in science and culture.