Medieval Period
The first clear evidence of alcohol distillation comes from Greek alchemists working in Alexandria in the 1st century AD. Distilled water has been known since at least c. 200 AD, when Alexander of Aphrodisias described the process. Middle Eastern scientists used distillation extensively in their alchemical experiments, the most notable of whom were the Persian Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber), the Arab Al-Kindi (Alkindus) and the other Persian scientist al-Razi (Rhazes).
The first clear evidence from the distillation of alcohol comes from the School of Salerno in the 12th century. Fractional distillation was developed by Tadeo Alderotti in the 13th century.
In 1500, German alchemist Hieronymus Braunschweig published Liber de arte destillandi (The Book of the Art of Distillation), the first book solely dedicated to the subject of distillation, followed in 1512 by a much expanded version. In 1651, John French published The Art of Distillation the first major English compendium of practice, though it has been claimed that much of it derives from Braunschweig's work. This includes diagrams with people in them showing the industrial rather than bench scale of the operation.
Names like "life water" have continued to be the inspiration for the names of several types of beverages, like Gaelic whisky, French eaux-de-vie and possibly vodka. Also, the Scandinavian akvavit spirit gets its name from the Latin phrase aqua vitae.
Read more about this topic: History Of Alcoholic Beverages
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