Distilled beverage - wikipedia Distilled beverage `` Liquor '' redirects here. For sweetened and flavored alcoholic beverages, see Liqueur. For the novel series, see Liquor ( novel series ). An old whiskey still A display of various distilled beverages in a supermarket Some single - drink distilled beverage bottles available in Germany A distilled beverage, spirit, liquor, hard liquor or hard alcohol is an alcoholic beverage produced by distillation of grains, fruit, or vegetables that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. The distillation process purifies the liquid and removes diluting components like water, for the purpose of increasing its proportion of alcohol content ( commonly expressed as alcohol by volume, ABV ). As distilled beverages contain significantly more alcohol, they are considered `` harder '' -- in North America, the term hard liquor is used to distinguish distilled beverages from undistilled ones. As examples, this term does not include beverages such as beer, wine, sake, and cider, as they are fermented but not distilled. These all have a relatively low alcohol content, typically less than 15 %. Brandy is a spirit produced by the distillation of wine, and has an ABV of over 35 %. Other examples of distilled beverages include bourbon, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, mezcal, whisky, scotch, and moonshine. ( Also see list of alcoholic drinks, and liquors by national origin. ) Contents 1 Nomenclature 2 Etymology 3 History of distillation 3.1 Precursors 3.2 True distillation 3.3 Government regulation 3.4 Microdistilling 4 Flammability 5 Serving 6 Alcohol consumption by country 7 Health effects 7.1 Short - term effects 7.2 Long - term effects 8 See also 9 References 10 Bibliography 11 External links Nomenclature The term spirit refers to a distilled beverage that contains no added sugar and has at least 20 % alcohol by volume ( ABV ). Distilled beverages bottled with added sugar and added flavorings, such as Grand Marnier, Frangelico, and American schnapps, are known instead as liqueurs. Distilled beverages generally have an alcohol concentration higher than 30 %. Beer and wine, which are not distilled beverages, are limited to a maximum alcohol content of about 20 % ABV, as most yeasts can not reproduce when the concentration of alcohol is above this level ; as a consequence, fermentation ceases at that point. Etymology The origin of `` liquor '' and its close relative `` liquid '' was the Latin verb liquere, meaning `` to be fluid ''. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an early use of the word in the English language, meaning simply `` a liquid '', can be dated to 1225. The first use the OED mentions of its meaning `` a liquid for drinking '' occurred in the 14th century. Its use as a term for `` an intoxicating alcoholic drink '' appeared in the 16th century. The term `` spirit '' in reference to alcohol stems from Middle Eastern alchemy. These alchemists were more concerned with medical elixirs than with transmuting lead into gold. The vapor given off and collected during an alchemical process ( as with distillation of alcohol ) was called a spirit of the original material. History of distillation Main article : Distillation Precursors Distillation equipment used by the 3rd century alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis, from the Byzantine Greek manuscript Parisinus graces. Distillation was known in the ancient Indian subcontinent, evident from baked clay retorts and receivers found at Taxila and Charsadda in modern Pakistan, dating back to the early centuries of the Common Era. These `` Gandhara stills '' were only capable of producing very weak liquor, as there was no efficient means of collecting the vapors at low heat. The Chinese may have independently developed the process in the early centuries of the Common Era, during the Eastern Han dynasty. Distilled water was described in the 2nd century AD by Alexander of Aphrodisias. Alchemists in Roman Egypt were using a distillation alembic or still device in the 3rd century. Freeze distillation involves freezing the alcoholic beverage and then removing the ice. The freezing technique had limitations in geography and implementation limiting how widely this method was put to use. True distillation An illustration of brewing and distilling industry methods in England, 1858 The medieval Arabs used the distillation process extensively, and there is evidence that they distilled alcohol. Al - Kindi unambiguously described the distillation of wine in the 9th century. The process later spread to Italy, where later evidence of the distillation of alcohol comes from the School of Salerno in southern Italy during the 12th century. In China, archaeological evidence indicates that the true distillation of alcohol began during the 12th century Jin or Southern Song dynasties. A still has been found at an archaeological site in Qinglong, Hebei, dating to the 12th century. In India, the true distillation of alcohol was introduced from the Middle East, and was in wide use in the Delhi Sultanate by the 14th century. Fractional distillation was developed by Taddeo Alderotti in the 13th century. The production method was written in code, suggesting that it was being kept secret. In 1437, `` burned water '' ( brandy ) was mentioned in the records of the County of Katzenelnbogen in Germany. It was served in a tall, narrow glass called a Goderulffe. Claims upon the origin of specific beverages are controversial, often invoking national pride, but they are plausible after the 12th century AD, when Irish whiskey and German brandy became available. These spirits would have had a much lower alcohol content ( about 40 % ABV ) than the alchemists ' pure distillations, and they were likely first thought of as medicinal elixirs. Consumption of distilled beverages rose dramatically in Europe in and after the mid-14th century, when distilled liquors were commonly used as remedies for the Black Death. Around 1400, methods to distill spirits from wheat, barley, and rye beers, a cheaper option than grapes, were discovered. Thus began the `` national '' drinks of Europe : jenever ( Belgium and the Netherlands ), gin ( England ), Schnaps ( Germany ), grappa ( Italy ), borovička ( Slovakia ), horilka ( Ukraine ), akvavit / snaps ( Scandinavia ), vodka ( Poland and Russia ), ouzo ( Greece ), rakia ( the Balkans ), and poitín ( Ireland ). The actual names emerged only in the 16th century, but the drinks were well known prior to then. Government regulation It is legal to distill beverage alcohol as a hobby for personal use in some countries, including New Zealand and the Netherlands. In the United States, is illegal to distill beverage alcohol without a license. In some parts of the U.S., it is also illegal to sell a still without a license. However, all states allow unlicensed individuals to make their own beer, and some also allow unlicensed individuals to make their own wine ( although making beer and wine is also prohibited in some local jurisdictions ). Microdistilling Microdistilling ( also known as craft distilling ) as a trend began to develop in the United States following the emergence and immense popularity of microbrewing and craft beer in the last decades of the 20th century. Flammability These flaming cocktails illustrate that a distilled beverage will readily catch fire and burn. See also : Alcohol proof, Flash point, and Fire point Liquor that contains 40 % ABV ( 80 US proof ) will catch fire if heated to about 26 ° C ( 79 ° F ) and if an ignition source is applied to it. This temperature is called its flash point. The flash point of pure alcohol is 16.6 ° C ( 61.9 ° F ), less than average room temperature. The flash points of alcohol concentrations from 10 % ABV to 96 % ABV are : 10 % -- 49 ° C ( 120 ° F ) -- ethanol - based water solution 12.5 % -- about 52 ° C ( 126 ° F ) -- wine 20 % -- 36 ° C ( 97 ° F ) -- fortified wine 30 % -- 29 ° C ( 84 ° F ) 40 % -- 26 ° C ( 79 ° F ) -- typical vodka, whisky or brandy 50 % -- 24 ° C ( 75 ° F ) -- strong whisky, bottled in bond whisky 60 % -- 22 ° C ( 72 ° F ) -- normal tsikoudia ( called mesoraki or middle raki ), barrel proof whisky 70 % -- 21 ° C ( 70 ° F ) -- some absinthe, slivovitz 80 % -- 20 ° C ( 68 ° F ) 90 % or more -- 17 ° C ( 63 ° F ) -- neutral grain spirit Serving See also : Bartending terminology A row of alcoholic beverages -- in this case, spirits -- in a bar Distilled beverages can be served : Neat -- at room temperature without any additional ingredient ( s ) Up -- shaken or stirred with ice, strained, and served in a stemmed glass. Down -- shaken or stirred with ice, strained, and served in a rocks glass. On the rocks -- over ice cubes Blended or frozen -- blended with ice With a simple mixer, such as club soda, tonic water, juice, or cola As an ingredient of a cocktail As an ingredient of a shooter With water With water poured over sugar ( as with absinthe ) Alcohol consumption by country Main article : List of countries by alcohol consumption The World Health Organization measures and publishes alcohol consumption patterns in different countries. The WHO measures alcohol consumed by persons 15 years of age or older and reports it on the basis of liters of pure alcohol consumed per capita in a given year in a country. Health effects Short - term effects Main article : Short - term effects of alcohol This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2016 ) Distilled spirits contain ethyl alcohol, the same chemical that is present in beer and wine and as such, spirit consumption has short - term psychological and physiological effects on the user. Different concentrations of alcohol in the human body have different effects on a person. The effects of alcohol depend on the amount an individual has drunk, the percentage of alcohol in the spirits and the timespan that the consumption took place, the amount of food eaten and whether an individual has taken other prescription, over-the - counter or street drugs, among other factors. Drinking enough to cause a blood alcohol concentration ( BAC ) of 0.03 % - 0.12 % typically causes an overall improvement in mood and possible euphoria, increased self - confidence, and sociability, decreased anxiety, a flushed, red appearance in the face and impaired judgment and fine muscle coordination. A BAC of 0.09 % to 0.25 % causes lethargy, sedation, balance problems and blurred vision. A BAC from 0.18 % to 0.30 % causes profound confusion, impaired speech ( e.g., slurred speech ), staggering, dizziness and vomiting. A BAC from 0.25 % to 0.40 % causes stupor, unconsciousness, anterograde amnesia, vomiting, and respiratory depression ( potentially life - threatening ). Death may occur due to inhalation of vomit ( pulmonary aspiration ) while unconscious. A BAC from 0.35 % to 0.80 % causes a coma ( unconsciousness ), life - threatening respiratory depression and possibly fatal alcohol poisoning. As with all alcoholic beverages, driving under the influence, operating an aircraft or heavy machinery increases the risk of an accident ; as such many countries have penalties for drunk driving. Long - term effects See also : Long - term effects of alcohol consumption The main active ingredient of distilled spirits is alcohol, and therefore, the health effects of alcohol apply to spirits. Drinking small quantities of alcohol ( less than one drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men ) is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and early death. Drinking more than this amount ; however, increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke. The risk is greater in younger people due to binge drinking which may result in violence or accidents. About 3.3 million deaths ( 5.9 % of all deaths ) are believed to be due to alcohol each year. Alcoholism, also known as `` alcohol use disorder '', is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in problems. It was previously divided into two types : alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. In a medica l context, alcoholism is said to exist when two or more of the following conditions is present : a person drinks large amounts over a long time period, has difficulty cutting down, acquiring and drinking alcohol takes up a great deal of time, alcohol is strongly desired, usage results in not fulfilling responsibilities, usage results in social problems, usage results in health problems, usage results in risky situations, withdrawal occurs when stopping, and alcohol tolerance has occurred with use. Alcoholism reduces a person 's life expectancy by around ten years and alcohol use is the third - leading cause of early death in the United States. No professional medical association recommends that people who are nondrinkers should start drinking wine. While lower quality evidence suggests a cardioprotective effect, no controlled studies have been completed on the effect of alcohol on the risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause liver cirrhosis and alcoholism. The American Heart Association `` cautions people NOT to start drinking... if they do not already drink alcohol. Consult your doctor on the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation. '' See also Liquor portal Drink portal Absinthe Akvavit Aguardiente Alcoholic beverage Arak Arrack Awamori Baijiu / Shōchū / Soju Brandy Borovička Cachaça Eau de vie Er guo tou Fenny Freeze distillation Gin ( and Jenever ) Horilka Liquor store List of beverages Mamajuana Mezcal Moonshine Neutral grain spirit Orujo Pálinka Pisco Poitín Rakı Rakia Rum Rượu đế Schnapps Slivovitz Vodka Whisky Tsikoudia Tsipouro References Jump up ^ `` distilled spirit - alcoholic beverage ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Jump up ^ E. Gildemeister and Fr. Hoffman, translated by Edward Kremers ( 1913 ). The Volatile Oils. 1. New York : Wiley. p. 203. Jump up ^ Bryan H. Bunch and Alexander Hellemans ( 2004 ). The History of Science and Technology. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 88. ISBN 0 - 618 - 22123 - 9. Jump up ^ Marcelin Berthelot Collection des anciens alchimistes grecs ( 3 vol., Paris, 1887 -- 1888, p. 161 ) ^ Jump up to : Irfan Habib ( 2011 ), Economic History of Medieval India, 1200 - 1500, page 55, Pearson Education ^ Jump up to : Haw, Stephen G. ( 2006 ). `` Wine, women and poison ''. Marco Polo in China. Routledge. pp. 147 -- 148. ISBN 978 - 1 - 134 - 27542 - 7. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 10. The earliest possible period seems to be the Eastern Han dynasty... the most likely period for the beginning of true distillation of spirits for drinking in China is during the Jin and Southern Song dynasties Jump up ^ Taylor, F. Sherwood ( 1945 ). `` The Evolution of the Still ''. Annals of Science. 5 ( 3 ) : 186. doi : 10.1080 / 00033794500201451. ISSN 0003 - 3790. ^ Jump up to : Ahmad Y. al - Hassan ( 2001 ), Science and Technology in Islam : Technology and applied sciences, pages 65 - 69, UNESCO Jump up ^ Hassan, Ahmad Y. `` Alcohol and the Distillation of Wine in Arabic Sources ''. History of Science and Technology in Islam. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 19. Jump up ^ The Economist : `` Liquid fire - The Arabs discovered how to distil alcohol. They still do it best, say some '' December 18, 2003 Jump up ^ Forbes, Robert James ( 1970 ). A short history of the art of distillation : from the beginnings up to the death of Cellier Blumenthal. BRILL. pp. 57, 89. ISBN 978 - 90 - 04 - 00617 - 1. Retrieved 29 June 2010. Jump up ^ Sarton, George ( 1975 ). Introduction to the history of science. R.E. Krieger Pub. Co. p. 145. Jump up ^ Holmyard, Eric John ( 1990 ). Alchemy. Courier Dover Publications. p. 53. Jump up ^ graf-von-katzenelnbogen.com, see entry at Trinkglas. Jump up ^ `` Flash Point and Fire Point ''. Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Material Safety Data Sheet, Section 5 ''. Retrieved March 7, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Flash points of ethanol - based water solutions ''. Retrieved June 23, 2011. Jump up ^ Robert L. Wolke ( 5 July 2006 ). `` Combustible Combination ''. Washington Post. Retrieved 27 January 2011. Jump up ^ Walkart, C.G. ( 2002 ). National Bartending Center Instruction Manual. Oceanside, California : Bartenders America, Inc. p. 104. ASIN : B000F1U6HG. Jump up ^ who.int ^ Jump up to : O'Keefe, JH ; Bhatti, SK ; Bajwa, A ; DiNicolantonio, JJ ; Lavie, CJ ( March 2014 ). `` Alcohol and cardiovascular health : the dose makes the poison... or the remedy ''. Mayo Clinic proceedings. 89 ( 3 ) : 382 -- 93. doi : 10.1016 / j. mayocp. 2013.11. 005. PMID 24582196. Jump up ^ `` Alcohol Facts and Statistics ''. Retrieved 9 May 2015. Jump up ^ Jill Littrell ( 2014 ). Understanding and Treating Alcoholism Volume I : An Empirically Based Clinician 's Handbook for the Treatment of Alcoholism : volume Ii : Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Alcohol Consumption and Abuse. Hoboken : Taylor and Francis. p. 55. ISBN 9781317783145. The World Health Organization defines alcoholism as any drinking which results in problems Jump up ^ Hasin, Deborah ( December 2003 ). `` Classification of Alcohol Use Disorders ''. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/. Retrieved 28 February 2015. External link in website = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : `` Alcohol Use Disorder : A Comparison Between DSM -- IV and DSM -- 5 ''. November 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2015. Jump up ^ Schuckit, MA ( 27 November 2014 ). `` Recognition and management of withdrawal delirium ( delirium tremens ) ''. The New England Journal of Medicine. 371 ( 22 ) : 2109 -- 13. doi : 10.1056 / NEJMra1407298. PMID 25427113. Jump up ^ Alcohol and Heart Health American Heart Association Jump up ^ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. `` General Information on Alcohol Use and Health ''. Retrieved 26 June 2008. Jump up ^ American Heart Association. `` Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease ''. Retrieved 26 June 2008. Bibliography Blue, Anthony Dias ( 2004 ). The Complete Book of Spirits : A Guide to Their History, Production, and Enjoyment. New York : HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0 - 06 - 054218 - 7. Forbes, Robert ( 1997 ). Short History of the Art of Distillation from the Beginnings up to the Death of Cellier Blumenthal. Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 90 - 04 - 00617 - 6. Multhauf, Robert ( 1993 ). The Origins of Chemistry. Gordon & Breach Science Publishers. ISBN 2 - 88124 - 594 - 3. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Distilled beverages. History and Taxonomy of Distilled Spirits Alcoholic drinks History and production History of alcohol History of alcoholic beverages History of beer History of wine History of Bordeaux wine History of Champagne History of Chianti History of French wine History of Portuguese wine History of Rioja wine History of Sherry History of South African wine Production Alcohol industry Brewing Distillation Drinking establishments Fermentation Winemaking Alcoholic drinks Fermented drink Beer Cider Mead Rice wine Sake Wine Other fermented drinks Distilled drink Brandy Gin Liqueur Rum Tequila Vodka Whisky Other distilled drinks Fortified wine Madeira wine Marsala wine Port wine Sherry Vermouth Other fortified wines Distilled drinks by ingredients Fruit Apple Applejack Calvados Cashew apple Feni Coconut Arrack Fig Boukha Grape Armagnac Brandy Cognac Pisco Plum Slivovitz Țuică Pomace Chacha Grappa Marc Orujo Tsikoudia Tsipouro Zivania Various fruits Eau de vie Himbeergeist Kirschwasser Marillenschnaps Nalewka Pálinka Rakia Schnaps Cereals Barley Irish whiskey Japanese whisky Scotch whisky Maize Bourbon whiskey Corn whiskey Tennessee whiskey Rice Awamori Cheongju Rice baijiu Shōchū Soju Rye Korn Rye whiskey Starka Sorghum Baijiu ( Kaoliang wine ) Multiple grains American whiskey Canadian whisky Other Agave Mezcal Tequila Buckwheat Buckwheat whisky Shōchū Sugarcane or molasses Aguardiente Cachaça Clairin Guaro Rum Seco Herrerano Tharra Various starches Akvavit Horilka Poitín Shōchū Vodka Liqueurs and infused distilled drinks by ingredients Almond Amaretto Crème de Noyaux Anise Absinthe Arak Hierbas Herbs de Majorca Ouzo Pastis Rakı Sambuca Blackthorn shrub Patxaran Chocolate Chocolate liqueur Cinnamon Tentura Cloudberry Lakka Coconut Malibu Coffee Kahlúa Tia Maria Egg Advocaat Hazelnut Frangelico Herbs Aquavit Bénédictine Brennivín Crème de menthe Metaxa Honey Bärenjäger Drambuie Glayva Krupnik Juniper Gin Jenever Orange Campari Cedratine Curaçao Triple sec Peppers Pertsivka Star anise Sassolino Sugarcane / molasses Charanda Various fruits Crème de banane Crème de cassis Limoncello Schnapps Sloe gin Portals Liquor Beer Drink Wine WikiProjects Beer Spirits Wine GND : 4182358 - 8 NDL : 00575038 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Distilled_beverage&oldid=809511538 '' Categories : Distilled drinks Alcohol Distillation Indian inventions Pakistani inventions Hidden categories : CS1 errors : external links All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2014 Articles needing additional references from January 2016 All articles needing additional references Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2016 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Català Čeština Cymraeg Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto فارسی Føroyskt Français Gaeilge 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar മലയാളം မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Português Runa Simi Русский Scots Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська ייִדיש 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 9 November 2017, at 16 : 14. 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Question: where does the term spirits for alcohol come from
Answer: Middle Eastern alchemy