Theme journey · 10 chapters
History of Distilling From Aqua Vitae to Pisco
From the water of life used in medicine to disputes over names: how distilling came to Europe, who distilled in earlier times, and why Cognac, brandy, and Pisco are called what they are today.
Chapter 1Aqua Vitae: How Did Distilling Come to Europe?Alchemy and Medicine
Chapter 21310: Vital Dufour and the 40 Virtues of ArmagnacGascony in the Middle Ages
Chapter 3Monastery, Apothecary, Farm: Who Distilled Spirits in the Past?From Medicine to Farmhouse Spirits
Chapter 4Where Does the Word Brandy Come From? The Dutch and CognacTrade Along the Charente
Chapter 5Distilling rights as privilege: Oberkirch 1726 and the KrautingerRights from above
Chapter 6Column and Potato: How Distilling Became an IndustryThe 19th Century
Chapter 7Phylloxera and Spirits: Cognac 1875, Wachau 1890Crisis and New Beginnings
Chapter 8From German Cognac to Weinbrand: How Names Became Protected1909 to the Present
Chapter 9Armenian Brandy: Why Was It Called Cognac?The Caucasus and the Soviet era
Chapter 10Pisco: Does the Name Belong to Peru or Chile?One name, two countries