Barworld 411 - All The Bar Information You'll Ever Need

What is Fermentation?

Before fermentation begins, the grain, plant or fruit used as the spirit’s base is ground or crushed. Pure hot water is added to the crushed product forming a mash. Mashing results in the conversion of plant starches to sugar. When yeast is added to the mash, the yeast consumes the sugar, converting it to a alcohol. This is fermentation.

What Is Distillation?

Distillation is the process of separating alcohol from the fermented liquid. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so when the fermented liquid is heated at 175 degrees F in a still, its alcohol particles vaporize and rise, leaving water particles.

The type of still is partly responsible for the spirit’s flavor. Pot stills are the original technology and are used in producing fine whiskies. Column stills create a factory-produced, but no less fine product. From the still, the alcohol vapor is guided to a condenser, where it is cooled enough to become liquid droplets, or distilled spirits. This is where tiny particles called congeners are released, providing flavor, body, and aroma. Congeners are a toxic by-product of distillation and have also been blamed for headaches and hangovers; therefore, in better quality spirits, the liquid is distilled again in a process rectification to reduce the negative effects of congeners.

What Does Proof Mean?

Proof is the alcohol content in a distilled liquor. A higher proof means purer alcohol with less water and fewer congeners. The proof measurement varies among countries, but in the United States, proof is always twice the alcohol content: 100 proof means 50% alcohol content.