How Distillation Really Works (Without the Jargon)

At first glance, distillation can seem like a mysterious and technical process—something best left to scientists or seasoned distillers in lab coats. Words like “rectification,” “congeners,” and “reflux” can intimidate even the most curious drinkers. But here’s the good news: the core of distillation is actually quite simple, and once you understand it, your appreciation for spirits like whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka will deepen significantly.

Let’s break it down in plain English. No jargon. Just real talk about how your favorite spirits go from grain (or fruit or sugarcane) to glass.

What Is Distillation, Really?

At its most basic, distillation is the process of separating alcohol from everything else in a fermented liquid like beer or wine to make it stronger, purer, and more flavorful.

Fermentation creates alcohol, but only to a certain degree. Think of beer and wine: they top out around 5–15% alcohol. To make spirits (which are usually 40% or higher), you need a way to concentrate that alcohol. That’s where distillation comes in.

Here’s the simple science: alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water. By gently heating a fermented liquid (called the “wash” or “mash”), distillers can evaporate the alcohol, capture that vapor, cool it down, and turn it back into liquid. This purified liquid is the distilled spirit.

It’s a bit like making coffee using steam and a fancy chemistry set.

The Journey from Liquid to Vapor and Back Again

Let’s walk through the process step by step, as it happens in a traditional copper still (the kind used for centuries in making whiskey and brandy):

1. Starting with Fermentation

Every spirit starts with something fermentable grains for whiskey and vodka, grapes for brandy, sugarcane for rum, and agave for tequila. Yeast eats the sugars in these materials and produces alcohol. The result is a low-alcohol, murky liquid kind of like funky beer or wine.

2. Heating It Up

This liquid goes into a still, which is basically a big pot. When heated, the alcohol starts to turn into vapor before the water does, because alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature (about 173°F or 78°C, compared to water’s 212°F or 100°C).

3. Rising Vapors

As the alcohol vapor rises, it carries along aromatic compounds some desirable, some not. The shape and design of the still influence how much of each compound makes it through. This is part of why pot stills (used in Scotch and Irish whiskey) produce bold, flavorful spirits, while column stills (used in vodka and some rums) produce cleaner, lighter ones.

4. Cooling It Down

The alcohol vapor travels through a cooling system, usually a coil or tube surrounded by cold water. As the vapor cools, it turns back into liquid this is your raw spirit, or “distillate.”

5. Cutting the Spirit

The first liquid to come out of the still can be too harsh or even dangerous (methanol). The last bits can be overly heavy or bitter. So, distillers make careful “cuts,” keeping only the heart of the run—the cleanest, tastiest part.

One Run or Two? Depends on the Spirit

Some spirits are distilled once (like many brandies), while others are distilled twice or more. Whiskey is often distilled twice in pot stills; vodka and gin may go through several rounds in a column still to become extra pure. Each pass through the still removes more impurities and can change the character of the final product.

Not Just About Strength Flavor Matters

While distillation concentrates alcohol, it also shapes flavor. Lower distillation temperatures and smaller stills can preserve heavier, funkier notes. Higher distillation or more runs produce cleaner, lighter spirits.

So even though vodka and whiskey might start with similar ingredients, how they’re distilled makes them completely different.

And when it comes to flavored spirits like gin, distillers infuse the alcohol vapor with botanicals like juniper, citrus, or spices during the process sort of like a tea bag for alcohol vapor. This gives gin its distinctive character and aroma.

A Simple Analogy: Making Soup Steamier

Imagine making a rich broth. If you let the water evaporate slowly, the flavor becomes more concentrated. Distillation is a similar idea, but with alcohol. You're removing some elements (like water) to focus others (like alcohol and flavor compounds). Only, instead of drinking the soup, you’re bottling the steam.

Why It Matters to You as a Drinker

Understanding how distillation works helps you appreciate what you’re tasting. A robust, oily Scotch? That’s likely from a slower distillation in a traditional pot still. A crisp, clean vodka? That probably came from a tall column still and multiple rounds of distillation. A rum with banana and molasses notes? That’s distillation preserving the funky esters from the original ferment.

In short, distillation isn’t just science it’s artistry. It’s where chemistry meets craftsmanship, and every choice a distiller makes shapes what ends up in your glass.

Steam, Skill, and Spirit

You don’t need to memorize technical terms to understand distillation. All you need to remember is this: distillation is the moment a raw, wild liquid is transformed into something refined. It’s the heart of every spirit’s story.

So next time you sip your favorite whiskey or rum, take a moment to appreciate the journey it took through heat, vapor, copper, and cool water—before it made its way to your glass.