Distillique Articles

You know the drill. In case of emergency, you should immediately call emergency services or the paramedics, and follow directives from the emergency responder. But even though this is an elementary instruction, many people disregard the importance of professional medical help, especially when it comes to alcohol intoxication, thinking that they can fix the problem themselves. It is very important to recognize the seriousness...

One of the dangers involved with the consumption of alcohol is Alcohol Poisoning. Not really new information. But what many people do not know is that there is actually 2 types of alcohol poisoning. The First Type of Alcohol Poisoning The first of these is the “garden variety” alcohol poisoning – excessive consumption of alcohol, although this should more accurately be described as consumption...

Essential oils are a hot topic these days, and we get a lot of inquiries as to the extraction of essential oils through distillation. What are the most common forms of Essential Oil Extraction? Essential oils can be extracted via two key methods: Distillation (includes hydro-distillation) and Expression. Several other methods also exist, but Distillation and Expression remains the two predominant ones. The History...

Recently I came across an interesting metaphor attributed to a Master Distiller: “Barrels are like naughty children. None of them behave as you’d like them to and although you love them all, there will always be a few which will be your favorites.” Is there a Relation between Marketing Buzz Words and Character? Marketers play on this with labels boasting ‘Distillers Selection’, ‘Selected Oak’,...

Note: The following is clearly a question of personal taste, but it is based on research conducted by students in Tourism Management who are focusing specifically on Spirits Tourism (and more particularly Spirit Tourism). What is Spirit Tourism? The definition of Spirit Tourism (in this discussion) refers to the visit of Spirit-related attractions which can be museums, distilleries or spirit events. In general, if the...

Unlike whisky which may be spelled whisky or whiskey in different parts of the world, gin is gin the world round. The name gin is derived from genièvre (French), jenever (Dutch), and ginepro (Italian), all of which mean “juniper”, and it dates as far back at the 13th century. In most cases (Jenever being one of the exceptions) the spirit is essentially flavorless before...

Of all of the species of hard wood in the world, there is a very good reason why we only use oak. As a member of the beech family, of the genus Quercus, oak has large radial grains of high density which grow straighter than the majority of other hardwoods making it perfect for tight cooperage. More importantly however are the natural chemical compounds...

Distillique regularly receives inquiries from individuals that want to explore the feasibility of different raw materials for use in producing spirits – mostly because they have easy or cheap access to those raw materials. This is specifically true for farmers, as fruit and vegetables that do not conform to market standards may still be successfully used for fermentation purposes to make spirits. One example...

Custom bottles can provide a unique look and provide large brand benefits, but Craft Distillers must evaluate the pros and cons. Everyone knows that your branding and packaging has to work hard on a retail or bar shelf in order to attract consumer attention. Custom bottles are a powerful way to achieve this end, especially when finished with complimenting packaging components like boxes, ribbons,...

If there is one thing that we all go a bit crazy for, it’s oak matured spirits. Even if you are not a big spirits lover, odds are good you’ve indulged frequently on other such oaked products like Balsamic Vinegar, Worcestershire or Tabasco sauces. For those who have discovered the world of a well-aged whisky, tequila, brandy, rum or fortified wine, a lot of...

Once a cooper has selected their oak type, barrel size and seasoning qualities they can then select which level of thermal degrading to apply to the inside of the cask relative to the liquid it will have in it and the desired character of that liquid. What is the difference between Toasting and Charring? The two most common types of thermal degrading are toasting...

Water molecules are small, Alcohol molecules are much larger. Since a water molecule is very small, it is easier for it to escape through the barrel than the much larger alcohol molecule. The atmosphere at the top of a barrel storage area is very hot and dry, allowing the water molecules to escape much faster than the alcohol molecules, thus driving the ABV up...

It happens quite often (at least two or three times per week) that clients, visitors and followers ask us to recommend a useful book to read regarding distillation. Personally, I find most books to be quite lacking, either focusing more on cocktails, brand stories and tasting notes, and less on the actual arts of distilling and fermentation or repeating too many marketing stories and...

Distillers use Invert Sugar to make proper liqueurs, Old Tom Gins, for Obscuration and for Mouth Feel Enhancement. Simple Invert Sugar Recipe To make 1 kilogram of Invert Sugar, you need: Extra Fine Granulated Sugar (think Castor Sugar) 1 kg Water 480 ml Citric Acid 1 g Invert Sugar Methodology If you have an induction cook top or an electric stove use these options...

The principle of distillation is simple. The important aspect remains the means of separating alcohol from an alcohol containing liquid. Alcohol boils at 78.3º Celsius at sea level while water boils at 100º Celsius. When an alcohol-water solution is heated to a temperature somewhere between the boiling point of the alcohol and the water (depending on the ratio of the liquids), alcohol-water solution starts to boil with more alcohol molecules vaporizing...

Note: Due to the limited knowledge of most officials (outside the Western Cape) involved in the granting of Micro Liquor Manufacturing Licenses, we tried to keep the wording of the template below as simple as possible. Distilling terms such as ""stillage"" has deliberately been omitted - simply because not all officials are familiar with them. Micro Liquor Manufacturing Facility for Spirits - Waste Management...

Confused between small batch and single barrel? A Practical Example Let us say you receive three barrels of Whisky, filled with distillate from the same batch. You decide to store one barrel in your basement, the second on your main floor, and the third one in your attic. Assuming you have no central heating, air conditioning or insulation, it is expected that you will...

Water quality matters. Not to the extent that some bottled brands would have you believe in their advertising, but it can have a large impact on yeast health, and hence on fermentation success. Recently, several of our clients have had trouble with water quality. This has often been the result of excess minerals or iron, especially in borehole water, or the result of excessive...

Soxhlet extraction was initially developed by Franz Ritter von Soxhlet, to extract lipids from milk solids. It has far broader contemporary uses, however, including in the biochemistry, food, and oil industries. The Soxhlet extractor is designed for exhaustive solvent extraction – the extraction of as much soluble material as possible from a sample. The Benefit of Soxhlet Extraction Only a small amount of solvent...

Author: Swati Tamhankar  (Published with permission by Distillique) William Faulkner once said, “Civilization begins with distillation”. Today’s civilization sounds that. Known by several names such as neutral spirits, rectified alcohol, and rectified spirit, the extra neutral alcohol is prepared to form grain, sugarcane, corn, sugar beets, and other food materials. It is majorly used in the production of alcoholic beverages including vodka, gin, whiskey,...