Alcohol distillation has been around for thousands of years and remains an integral component of many drinks like bourbon, vodka, whiskey and gin production. Distilled spirits were first recorded by Sumerians and ancient Egyptians distilling wine and fermented fruit juices to produce perfumes and medicinal tinctures as early as 2000 BC for perfumery purposes and medical tincture production.
Alcohol distillation involves heating a combination of mash and water at low temperature until alcohol vapors escape, and then collecting and cooling back down again into liquid form. This process enhances alcoholic content by isolating desirable and undesirable components from the mash, with toxic volatile compounds like methanol and acetone present at an initial run in its first section, the heads. They produce an unpleasant odor similar to nail polish remover. The hearts are comprised of desirable ethyl alcohol. Finally, tails–with their distinctive rubbery or vegetal odor–are cut off and either discarded or redistillated for later use; when to make these cuts is one of the key aspects of distilling craft; decisions are determined through experience, senses and artistry.
The 16th century witnessed a great advancement in distillation techniques from various cultures and disciplines, led by Swiss alchemist Paracelsus’ invention of an alembic cooling tube and water bath principle used today to protect flasks from cracking upon heating up. Arab alchemists refined these methods further during Islamic Golden Age times and developed many different varieties of alcoholic beverages.
