Chemist
Spirits

T here’s a tremendous amount of detail and planning that goes into distilling some of the best gin in the country. Natural resources. A receptive market. The actual science. But one of the most important ingredients is an insatiable curiosity. A special person behind the product who’s always searching, learning and perfecting. Someone willing to go for it.

Debbie Word is this type of person—a self-described “serial hobbyist,” “fueled by challenges,” ready to “dive in with both feet.”

This mentality is the driving force behind Chemist Spirits, which Debbie founded in Asheville, North Carolina, with the help of her daughter, Danielle, a pharmacist by trade, and her son-in-law, James. Mixing unrelenting passion, the strength of family and immense creativity, the team at Chemist Spirits have found the recipe for something special.

As Debbie plainly explains it, the core of distillation comes down to zeroing in on several distinct phases. Every different type of alcohol boils at a different temperature and separate chemical compounds come off at different times. The first vapors, the foreshots, are poisonous. Toss ‘em.

After the foreshots come the heads. The heads carry some flavors. Some of them you want to keep; some you don’t. The next section is the hearts, the purest of the three sections, and the most important. Collect all of that. Next are the tails. Some flavor might be here.

Most finished spirits will contain a portion of heads and a portion of tails. The artistry comes in perfecting proportion, finding the ideal balance to create a spirit of character. With poetic simplicity, Danielle says it’s that moment when you taste and say, “Oh, this—this is what we’re looking for.”

When you step into the Antidote (their on-site tasting room) or the distillery, you should feel like you’ve just walked into a bygone era. Turn-of-the-century aesthetics adorn the space, mixing the feel of an old-school apothecary and a covert speakeasy.

The back bar shows an aged patina from the many patrons who have rested their elbows across its surface. The front door, reclaimed from an old theater, feels warm and welcoming and the tasting room counter finds new life after years in an old haberdashery. An authentic player piano adds a homey touch. All these items harken back to the age of Prohibition—a twist as ironic as it is creative.

A passion for 20th century architecture stems from Debbie’s days as a landscape architect, a career she left behind to become a stay-at-home mom—a commitment to family that would foreshadow the success of her nascent distillery.

Debbie had a habit of throwing herself into different projects, taking up weaving, sewing and making mead, a fermented honey beverage, from her own apiary.

“I had a passion for learning and being independent and being able to figure out how things are made,” she says.

Over the years, family trips to their Asheville, North Carolina cabin grew frequent. Inspired by the collaborative culture of craft breweries, and the accepting, artistic atmosphere of the city, their love for the area blossomed. In a funny anecdote, she recalls how her distilling career can be traced back to an encounter with Western North Carolina’s unofficial, official spirit: moonshine.

“It was so unpalatable to me,” Debbie says.

She asked her husband for a still for Christmas. She figured she could do it better.

Debbie and Danielle began distilling spirits on their kitchen stove. Their creations were more than just palatable. They were flat-out delicious. Soon, they were dreaming up something bigger than a clandestine hobby.

Debbie’s love for architecture and Prohibition cocktail culture merged with Danielle’s chemistry know-how and James’s graphic design talents and branding savvy. The ideas began to flow like the smooth-sipping spirit they were distilling.

They would play off the medicinal history of alcohol, herbs and botanicals in Western North Carolina, connecting them to the region they love. A nod to Danielle’s background and the role of “stewards of booze” that pharmacists played during Prohibition, the Chemist (an archaic name for pharmacist) moniker seemed perfect.

So they jumped.

Taking in the story, it feels like destiny. But the journey has taken an immense amount of work, with the persistent trials of every fledgling business. From the onset, being a woman-led business in a male-donimnated field was not easy. Seeking advice from a local business group, Deb was met with bleak responses and pessimism. In other meetings, heads would look to the men for answers. Through extreme quality and craftsmanship, Debbie let her product do the talking.

At the time Asheville was, and still is, a booming epicenter of craft brewing. But there were no distilleries in town. With the immense wellspring of natural resources at their disposal, the team honed in on what would become their signature—an approachable citrus-forward gin light on the juniper.

A strong connection to local geography and resources defines their product. From the natural spring water used in blending to the fresh botanicals they source from local farmers, Chemist gin is a singular expression that reflects its origins.

Distillation takes place in beautiful copper Alembic stills handcrafted in Portugal. Liquid boils and turns to vapor, traveling up a narrow tube called a lyne arm. Then it passes through the gin basket, becoming infused with different flavors. The vapor is introduced to chilled surfaces and turns back into a liquid. Voilà, science.

The end result is a highly drinkable, versatile gin with a respect for the bartender—easy enough to sip on its own, while perfect in classics and modern cocktails alike.

“What makes Chemist distinct from other distilleries is our unique focus on approachability,” James says. “[Debbie] wants a gin, that, even if you hate gin, you’re going to love our gin.”

Everything made at the distillery is seasonal and small-batch. There is no catchall formula. There is only old-school trial and error and constant sampling. A labor of love, from the moment the fire hits the still until the labels are affixed to the bottles, often by Debbie’s own hands.

The success of their flagship gin has led to forays into different varieties, from barrel rested and navy strength, and even eau de vies and liqueurs. They’re now exploring a whiskey program too. This free-form creativity drives them forward, even if true fulfillment comes from beyond the bottled creations.

“Part of what we have enjoyed with this whole process is seeing people gather together in fellowship around a quality product,” Debbie says. “Having fun, relaxing, the good times.”

From the core group of Debbie, Danielle and James, to the extended family of bartenders and distillers, the backbone of this company is community and family.

“There are times when I think it’s harder to work with your family,” Danielle says, “but at the end of the day, we can finish with a meal and a drink and let the work go.”

From the beginning, this was a shared journey. On hard days, these family bonds provide extra motivation.

“This is something we chose to do together. I was trying to build a legacy for my family, for my grandchildren,” Debbie says. “I think that’s gotten me through a lot of the tougher spots.”

This sense of camaraderie extends to the entire team. Several of the distillers cut their teeth behind the bar. “These aren’t people that are just following a checklist,” James says. “These are artisans.” Constantly examining the interactions of the botanicals, sampling the barrels and understanding how their spirits perform in different concoctions, everyone is involved.

Like the delicate harmony of heads, hearts and tails, Debbie, James, Danielle, and the entire staff make up the perfect cocktail of personalities, determination and craftsmanship. Served cold with a twist. Perfection.

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