We will first remove a big doubt: distillate is not a liqueur. Liqueur is still an alcoholic beverage like distillate, but made from the mixture of alcohol, sugar, flavorings, herbs, seeds, flowers, fruits, roots.
Distillates, on the other hand, are the result of the extraction of alcohol from raw materials of fermented vegetable origin such as cereals, wine, marc, sugar cane, potatoes, juniper berries and various fruits. These ingredients are fermented in order to obtain the alcohol, which is separated when heated from the water and other substances that made up the product itself (the alcohol is distilled).
Distilling a beverage is a very long and complex process consisting of several steps.
The first step involves the preparation of the wort, which can be made from grapes, wine, grain, sugar cane or fruit depending on the beverage to be made. The mixture is then set to ferment through the addition of yeast. The fermented liquid is then subjected to the actual distillation process.
With distillation, the fermented beverage is brought to a boil to separate the various components of the mixture. Each distillate is divided into three parts: the head, the heart and the tail. Of these three parts, only the second one, which coincides with the ethyl alcohol, must be preserved, while the other two must be removed-in technical jargon ‘cut off’-since they would confer an unpleasant taste to the drink, or in some cases would even be harmful to humans.
The skill of the distiller is all about recognizing the exact moment to cut off the ‘head’ and ‘tail’ of the distillate while isolating only its heart. The distillation process is carried out using special copper vessels called stills and can be discontinuous or continuous. The first process is used for the production of malt whiskey, brandy, cognac and grappa. The second method, on the other hand, is used to make vodka, gin, rum, tequila, grain whiskey and grappa.
After distillation, the liqueurs must then undergo a stabilization phase. Sugar or caramel may be added to achieve particular flavor and color notes. Some spirits such as Whisky, Cognac or Armagnac require a period of aging in wooden barrels.
In terms of tasting, it is very similar to that of wine but also has something different because of the much less variegated color tones, the decided concentration of ethyl alcohol and odorous molecules. It is mainly the aromas and taste-olfactory sensations that qualify the merit of a distillate.
