alembic

Schematic

Distillation by Alembic

In 3D

An alembic (from Arabic Al-inbiq الأنبيق) is an alchemical still consisting of two retorts connected by a tube. Technically, the alembic is only the upper part (the capital or still-head), while the lower part is the cucurbit, but the word was often used to refer to the entire distillation apparatus.

The word "alembic" has taken on a metaphorical meaning - anything that refines or transmutes, as if by distillation - as in "the alembic of creative thought."

The word, as most alchemical terminology, comes from the Arabic: al-inbiq, "still;" ultimately from the Greek ambix, "cup."

The French spelling alambic is also commonly used, especially as the apparatus is often associated with Cognac where it is known as alambic charentais. Charente is the area where the grapes must be grown and the brandy itself produced in order to be rightfully called Cognac.

The alembic symbol is Unicode U+2697 ALEMBIC (⚗).

See also

• Pot still
• Retort
• Distilled beverage

References

External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Alembic.