History of Distillation
The ancient art of Distillation
When did humans start distilling?
Certainly before the birth of Christ. But proposing definite and absolute data is not possible.
Certainly before the birth of Christ. But proposing definite and absolute data is not possible.
The Middle Ages: between alchemy and science
Arab alchemists, including Rhazes (860-940) and Avicenna (980-1037), described the preparation of the "water of life" and the distillation method that enriches the product by passing alcoholic vapors through ashes or quicklime...
The Sixteenth Century: the water of life against death
During a plague outbreak in the 16th century, in Italy doctors started prescribing strong alcoholic beverages, which gave the sick a temporary feeling of well-being.
The Modern Age and the evolution of the Alembic
In 1557, Adam Lonicer, known in Latin as Lonicerus, wrote an important herbal in which there is a section dedicated to the alembics used during that period and a woodcut that encapsulates the entire distillation process of the 1500s.
From the 1800s to the Present Day
The history of the alembic continued slowly through the centuries until the 19th century when the era of technology flourished.
