Alcohol distillation is a crucial process in producing various alcoholic beverages, leveraging the different boiling points of liquids to separate them. By heating a mixture of water and alcohol to 173°F, only the alcohol evaporates, which is then condensed back into liquid form to yield a higher alcohol concentration. Pot stills are utilized for this process, capturing and cooling the alcohol vapors to create a stronger alcoholic product.

1. Alcohol Distillation: How Alcohol
Distillation Works
The alcohol
distillation
process is one
of the most
important steps
when making
certain kinds of
alcohol.

2. Alcohol Distillation: How Alcohol
Distillation Works
Without distillation we wouldn’t have many of the types
of alcoholic beverages we know today including:
• Brandy
• Gin
• Rum
• Tequila
• Vodka
• Whisky

3. Alcohol Distillation: How Alcohol
Distillation Works
What is distillation?
Distillation is a method of separating liquids that a mixed together.
How does distillation work?
The process of distillation is simple. Different liquids reach a boiling point at different
temperatures. Put simply, distillation uses differences in boiling points to separate
liquids.
Let’s see how alcohol distillation in particular works:
Alcohol boils at : 173ºF
Water boils at : 212ºF
So, if you have a mixture of both water and alcohol using alcohol distillation
you can raise the temperature of the mixture to the boiling point of alcohol.
Which is 173ºF.

4. Alcohol Distillation: How Alcohol
Distillation Works
By raising our mixture to the boiling point of alcohol ( 173ºF) the alcohol only will begin to
boil turning it into vapor while leaving the water still in a liquid state. This is because the
alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water.
Pot Still
A pot still is the tool used during the alcohol distillation process. Our mixture of water and
alcohol is heated to the boiling point of alcohol within the pot still.
The vapors from the boiling alcohol are captured and then cooled to a point that it turns back
into liquid form.
As a result, the cooled substance has a much higher alcohol content than the original mixture.
This process can be repeated over again to create a higher concentration of alcohol.

5. Alcohol Distillation: How Alcohol
Distillation Works
How a pot still works
1. Mixture with alcohol.
2. Vapors from the boiling
alcohol after heating to
173ºF.
3. The captured vapors pass
through coiled copper tubing
which is submerged in cold
water.
4. The coiled tubing and cold
water cool the vapors back to
a liquid form.
5. The resulting liquid is much
higher in alcohol content
than the previous mixture.

6. Alcohol Distillation: How Alcohol
Distillation Works
Want More information on Alcohol Distillation?
Check out this article on alcohol distillation for more information. For more info on
alcohol in general visit BartendingSchool101.com. BartendingSchool101.com has great
articles on : alcoholic fermentation, writing a bartender resume, bartending
school, and much more.