On Food and Cooking

Continuous distillation in a column still. The
plates in each column are hottest at the steam
input and coolest at the other end. Substances
with low boiling points, including alcohol, are
concentrated in the vapor that leaves the first
column and rises in the second, and the
alcohol-rich fraction is collected at a
particular position in the second column.
Maturation and Aging Fresh from the still,
distilled liquors are as colorless as water, or
“white.” They’re also rough and harsh, so all
are matured for weeks or months to allow the
various components to react with each other,
form new combinations, and become less
irritating. From this point, the spirits are
handled differently according to the kind of
product they’re meant to become. “White”
spirits, including vodka and eaux de vie made
from fruits, are not aged; they may be
flavored, then adjusted to the proper alcohol
content by the addition of water, and bottled.
“Brown” spirits, including brandies and