How Distilling Began
Jenever is a domestic distilled drink, but how did the distilling process originate?
Genever has been a popular Dutch drink for more than 500 years(!) This national distillate with grain, juniper berries and herbs as basic ingredients is our most drunk domestic spirit. But what exactly is distilling and how did it come about? It is known that wine has been drunk for more than 10.000 years, spirits are still relatively 'young' drinks compared to this. About 2.000 years BC, people in Arabia and Asia started heating the alcohol in alcoholic beverages, such as wine. In the distillation process, the alcohol evaporates during heating, but the water does not. After heating, the alcohol vapor is cooled until it is liquid again. The result: alcohol with a higher percentage.
History
About 2.000 years BC people in Arabia and Asia started heating alcoholic beverages, such as wine. During heating, the alcohol evaporated, but the water did not. As soon as the alcohol vapor cooled, it became liquid again. The result is an alcohol with a higher percentage. This 'firing' of alcohol is also called distilling.
Did you know...
Jenever is the most consumed domestic spirit
Jenever has been a popular distilled drink in the Netherlands for 500 years. This national drink with grain, juniper berries and herbs as basic ingredients is our most drunk domestic spirit.
European Distilling
The European tradition of distilling in an alambic still, the forerunner of today's pot stills, can be traced back to the writings of Arab alchemists. Arab scholars distilled liquids to make perfumes and medicines. Al Jadir was a prominent scholar, apothecary and alchemist. He perfected the alambic still that was an essential part of his constant experimentation. This knowledge came to France and Spain through monks. After which the technique of distillation was 'rediscovered' during the Middle Ages in Northern Europe. The words alambic (al-anbik) and alcohol (al-kol) therefore originate from Arabic.
An alambic or pot still releases more aroma than column distillation. Often a drink is distilled one or more times; the more often the more aroma. A pot still is a copper kettle in which alcohol is 'fired' to a higher alcohol percentage, a maximum of 67%.
A pot still consists of four basic parts:
- Jar
A pot in which the alcoholic beverage is heated. - Gooseneck
The heated alcohol vapor is collected in the gooseneck. - Lynn poor
The collected alcohol vapor is discharged to the condenser via the lyne arm. - Capacitor
The alcohol vapor cools down in the condenser to a higher percentage alcohol.
