Distillation of alcohol
Destilación de alcohol (aqua ardens)
- Date
- c. 1150 · confidence medium
- Place
- School of Salerno, Italy
- Credited to
- Magister Salernus; al-Kindi and al-Razi (distillation of wine)
- People
- 👤 al-Rāzī?–1218👤 Magister Salernus?–1167
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
The production of concentrated ethanol by distilling wine with a cooled still, described at Salerno in the 12th century. The 'burning water' is born, later called 'water of life'.
al-Kindi (9th century) describes the distillation of wine for perfumes; the Arabs obtained alcohol but did not set it apart as a drink, owing to religious prohibition. Transmission ran from the Islamic world to Salerno.
What it led to
- spirits, liqueurs and European distilleries of the 14th–15th centuries
- a solvent for pharmacy, perfumery and tinctures
- the concept of 'quintessence' and the chemistry of spirits (John of Rupescissa)
Built on
Made possible
- Scotch whisky (malt aqua vitae)1494
- Gin (genever, juniper spirit)c. 1552
- Tequila (blue agave spirit)c. 1600
- whisky and brandy
- pharmaceutical tincture