| Distillation is a method of separation of substances based on differences in their volatilities. Known since antiquity, the concentration of alcohol by the application of heat to a fermented liquid solution is perhaps the oldest form of distillation, in the course of producing distilled beverages. However, the technique is now widely used for a variety of liquids in the chemical industry and in the production of petroleum products, among other fields. The device used in distillation is referred to as a still and consists at a minimum of a reboiler or pot in which the source material is heated, a condenser in which the heated vapor is cooled back to the liquid state, and a receiver in which the concentrated or purified liquid is collected. An analogous method of purification using freezing instead of evaporation is called freeze distillation. It is not distillation, and does not produce products equivalent to distillation. This process is used in the production of ice beer and ice wine to increase ethanol and sugar content, respectively.Distillation was developed into its modern form with the invention of the alembic by Persian alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan c. 800; he is also credited with the invention of numerous other chemical apparatus and processes that are still in use today.
A distilled beverage is a liquid preparation meant for consumption containing ethyl alcohol (ethanol) purified by distillation from a fermented substance such as fruit, vegetables, or grain. The word spirits generally refers to distilled beverages low in sugars and containing at least 35% alcohol by volume. Gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, brandy, absinthe, and tequila are types of spirits. Beverages high in alcohol and with added flavorings such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico and schnapps are generally referred to as liqueurs. The term liquor may mean spirits; spirits and liqueurs; or all alcoholic beverages, including wine, saké, beer, and mead. The source of this word is its close relative, “liquid.” Both came from Latin verb liquere, meaning “to be fluid.” The word liquor was first used in English to mean “a fluid” in the late 1200s; in the 1700s, the term was first applied to alcoholic beverages. Published for Joseph Meyer Meyers Konversations |
