Thomas J. Story
High above Los Angeles on seven acres overgrown with citrus, wild herbs, and flowers, a fantastical estate produces soaps, candles, jams, and tinctures to delight the body and feed the soul. Hugh Garvey – May 17, 2021
The gardener and the herbalist pack fresh masa around the seal of a vintage copper alembic still on the porch of the goatherdâs cabin. Weâre at Flamingo Estate, high up in the hills of Eagle Rock on the east side of L.A., and, believe it or not, this is the first step to making a cocktail. The masa will keep the steam from escaping and the distillate pure. The still is loaded with the resiny leaves of black sage, a variation of common sage that is intensely peppery and lemony and earthy. As the steam passes through the aromatic thatch of leaves it will take with it the concentrated essence of the herb, amplifying its power in oil that will trickle through the serpentine copper coil and into a jar, drip by drip. Later to