Distillate: what it is, history, types, and the difference with rectified spirit
In food production, distillate is a strong alcohol obtained by evaporation and condensation of fermented alcohol-containing liquid in a special apparatus.
Depending on the raw materials and processing technology, distillation produces different types of spirits: cognac, whiskey, vodka, rum, moonshine, schnapps.
When tasting their own alcohol, novice distillers rarely think about what preceded its appearance. But modern pure distillate is very far from the experimental product of the first distillation.
The history of distillation
The first alcoholic beverages appeared in prehistoric times. Archaeological finds show that ancient people were engaged in their production several millennia BC. As for distillates, they were tested much later.
There are no exact data on the time of the first distillation, but it is assumed that distillation apparatus appeared in the Ⅰ-Ⅱ century AD. The authorship of the unique invention is attributed to the ancient Chinese, but this is just an assumption. The Arabs and Greeks were also quite active in the development of distillation.
It is interesting that before coming to the distillation of alcohol, our ancestors experimented with various liquids for a long time.
The first distilled substance was water, which was replaced by resins.
It is known that the ancient Greeks and Egyptians used the method of distillation to produce essential oils that were used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.
In the Middle Ages, alchemists became interested in distilled alambics borrowed from the Greeks, trying to find the elixir of eternal youth with their help.
It was only in the XII century that alcohol distillation in Europe became an independent industry. Around the same time, the distillation product got its own name - "water of life".
The first alcohols were distilled from wine. However, not only traditional raw materials were used to produce them. Legends say that the pharmacist of Louis XIV distilled a variety of substances and considered the best cure for all diseases to be a liquid distilled from the heads of healthy men who died violently. It is not known whether he tested his eccentric recipe, but he glorified his "invention" for centuries.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the art of distillation spread to different regions, leading to the birth of special drinks in each area:
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Cognac was invented in France.
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In England - gin.
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In Scotland, whiskey.
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In Germany - schnapps.
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In Russia and Poland - vodka.
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In Denmark - aquavit.
Later on, rum, calvados, sake, rakia, plum, chacha, tequila and other types of spirits were created on their basis.
In the XVI century, Russia began to produce high-quality moonshine, but it was produced in small quantities and used mainly for medicinal purposes.
In the early nineteenth century, the primitive alambic still was replaced by a more advanced "patent still" or "coffey stil", which not only saved time and labor, but also allowed to produce cleaner and stronger alcohol.
As a result, the production of distillates has moved to a new level and has become industrialized.
Types of distillation and distillate
At home, distilled spirits are classified by the type of raw material used to make them:
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Fruit moonshine
Obtained from juicy garden and wild fruits: apples, plums, various types of berries. It is the basis for the production of rakia, plum, calvados.
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Grape distillate
One of the most valuable types, necessary for the production of cognac, brandy and chacha.
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Sugar moonshine
The most affordable and easiest to prepare type of distillate without a pronounced flavor. An alternative option is a milder alcohol from fructose/dextrose. This group includes molasses distillate, which is used to make rum.
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Grain distillate
Different types of cereals can be used as a basis: wheat, corn, rye, barley. Whiskey, vodka, bourbon, and gin are produced from grain raw materials.
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Other types of distillates are less common: potato, beet, starch, etc. д.
The most primitive method of distillation is simple distillation. It is the partial evaporation of an alcohol-containing liquid by continuous heating and condensation of vapors in a refrigerator.
Fractional (fractional) distillation is a more advanced way to produce strong alcohol. It involves the separation of the distilled liquid into parts (fractions), resulting in a higher quality and healthier alcohol.
For ingestion, only the "heart" of moonshine (the purest fraction) is used, containing a minimum amount of fusel oils and harmful impurities.
In industrial conditions (and sometimes at home), rectification is used to produce strong alcohol. A special apparatus with a column is needed to perform it. The rectification process involves returning part of the condensate to the still during distillation. As a result of repeating the cycle many times, the final product is stronger and cleaner.
Distillate and rectify: which is better
Before comparing rectified and distilled spirits, it is worth clarifying that we are talking about high-quality alcohol. Moonshine obtained by simple distillation without separation of fractions does not belong to them.
The choice of a particular distillation method depends on the desired result. Rectification gives a cleaner and higher-degree product (about 96%), but practically without taste and odor.
During distillation, the alcohol is of lower quality and stronger (about 60-70°), but retains the aroma of the raw material. In terms of production technology, the rectification process is more complex.
What to choose? If you need alcohol for diluting drinks, making liqueurs and tinctures, it is better to give preference to rectified alcohol.
If you want to get a "live" drink with a delicate aroma, it is optimal to use double/triple distillation with mandatory separation into fractions.
Update: 20.07.2019
Category: Vodka an Moonshine