Distilling Alcohol

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Foundation course

This course is for anyone interested in the process and techniques behind alcohol distillation for consumption or for practical use. It is designed for both beginners and those already familiar with other distillation techniques.

Video course: 1hr of pre-recorded, on demand video (in 11 modules).

Printable course materials: Downloadable PDFs of our detailed course notes, as well as recipes, tables, formulations and further resources.

Lifetime access: You’ll have access to your course to watch and review whenever you want.

Support and membership: When you buy this course, you gain automatic membership to The Alembics Lab course forums. This is an interactive space for questions, further learning and scheduled live events.

We walk you through a practical demonstration of distilling eau de vie from red wine. Beginning with set up and safety, we’ll show you how to run the distillation, and explain how distillers use both science and their senses when learning how to make cuts. Includes a bonus module on making liqueur from your eau de vie.

Course Content

Before you begin

Introduction

Module 1: Why distil alcohol yourself?

Module 2: Recommended Reading

Module 3: Fermentation

Module 4: Beginning the eau de vie distillation

Module 5: Fractions and making cuts

Module 6: Reflux

Module 7: Safety

Module 8: How to sample fractions (without falling over)

Module 9: Uses of eau de vie

Module 10: The end of the distillation

BONUS Module: Making quince liqueur

Just a device and internet connection, as our courses are totally online. You don’t need a still in order to learn with us, but chances are after taking these courses, you’ll want one!

Each course comes with printable course materials, which will have a list of equipment and supplies used in the distillation, so you can outfit yourself beforehand should you want to distil along with us. As a guide, our basic set-up will include:

A still
Heat source (such as an electric hotplate or gas burner)
Submersible in-line pump and water reservoir (bucket, container or sink)
Accessories and tools (plastic tubing, scissors, electrical tape, beakers or jars)

Course Content

Before you begin

Introduction

Module 1: Why distil alcohol yourself?

Module 2: Recommended Reading

Module 3: Fermentation

Module 4: Beginning the eau de vie distillation

Module 5: Fractions and making cuts

Module 6: Reflux

Module 7: Safety

Module 8: How to sample fractions (without falling over)

Module 9: Uses of eau de vie

Module 10: The end of the distillation

BONUS Module: Making quince liqueur

Video course: 1hr of pre-recorded, on demand video (in 11 modules).

Printable course materials: Downloadable PDFs of our detailed course notes, as well as recipes, tables, formulations and further resources.

Lifetime access: You’ll have access to your course to watch and review whenever you want.

Support and membership: When you buy this course, you gain automatic membership to The Alembics Lab student forums. This is an interactive space for questions, further learning and scheduled live events.

Just a device and internet connection, as our courses are totally online. You don’t need a still in order to learn with us, but chances are after taking these courses, you’ll want one!

A still
Heat source (such as an electric hotplate or gas burner)
Submersible in-line pump and water reservoir (bucket, container or sink)
Accessories and tools (plastic tubing, scissors, electrical tape, beakers or jars)

Course Overview

Our foundation course on distilling alcohol is for anyone who wants to learn how to distil high-quality spirits cleanly and safely. Whether you want to produce your own artisan spirits, or make alcohol for tincture and perfumery, this course will introduce you to the essential techniques. We will walk you through the process of making spirits from wine using an eau de vie distillation. We’ve chosen an eau de vie distillation because wine is an easily available and relatively inexpensive product to use as a wash (note, we explore the fermentation process, washes and mashes in much more depth in a separate course—Grain to Glass, coming soon).

What you’ll learn

The process and techniques of distilling spirits
About set up, and safety
How to calculate your yields and estimate your final ABV
How to make cuts
About reflux, and why it’s important in alcohol distilling
Some of the uses of eau de vie
Redistilling to create higher ABVs for tincture and perfume.

$107.49USD

Bundle all 3 Foundation Courses for $276.41USD!

Purchase our 3 Foundation Courses and save, normally $322.48USD.

You are enrolled in this course

‘Having grown up deeply immersed in nature and the wild, I am very passionate about plants, plant medicine, alcohol free drinks, flavours and scent and creating products that encapsulate those things. Jill – with her vast amount of knowledge and experience that she puts into her courses – has helped me to become confident with the distillation process of creating hydrosols and essential oils for my products and personal uses.’

– Amber Honan, Auckland NZ

Meet your Instructor

Jill Mulvaney

Jill Mulvaney is one of New Zealand’s leading distillation experts. She consults and teaches on all aspects of plant extraction for natural aroma and flavour. She teaches distillation workshops throughout NZ and internationally, enjoying teaching partnerships with internationally renowned phytochemists and aromatic distillers in Europe and America. Jill’s practice is informed by decades of experience with plants, and a deep respect for the natural world.

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Getting Started

To get you started we offer two free introductory courses. We’ll explain what you need, how to prepare your equipment and ingredients, as well as cleaning your still after use.

INTRODUCTION COURSES