# Can You Make Whiskey, Brandy Without Distillation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 18, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308 "2015-05-18T15:56:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308/21 "2015-05-19T19:39:23Z")

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I wouldn’t think it would make a difference. At the temperatures we’re talking about for distillation, you don’t have significant chemical reactions occurring. So the vacuum would lower the overall distillation temperature but not change the compounds that come out.

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**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308/22 "2015-05-19T19:52:29Z")

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> [@Scumpup](#):
>
> Not just the Scottish distillers.

But in the US, it’s not blokes rolling the barrels around by hand. 🙂

([Jim Beam commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Vk5iloGrw))

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**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308/23 "2015-05-19T20:34:28Z")

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> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> With the recent surge in micro-distillers, i wonder of you could make better liquor without distillation at all-if you used reverse osmosis, you could remove the alcohol from the mash/wine without heat at all. Distillation introduces all kinds of problems-heat the mash too hot, and you burn it-run your still too fast, and you get fusel oils in the distillate. Plus, the “head” and “tail” of the distillate is unfit to drink-there is a whole pile of procedures you need to observe, to avoid making bad-flavored. undrinkable liquor.  
> Would whiskey or brandy made without distillation be a good product?

Some people love instant soup: I’m sure some clever chap could invent a whisky-like powder one just adds water to.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308/24 "2015-05-19T20:39:50Z")

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> [@Claverhouse](#):
>
> Some people love instant soup: I’m sure some clever chap could invent a whisky-like powder one just adds water to.

[http://www.liquorquik.com/](http://www.liquorquik.com/)

Not a powder, but same basic idea.

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**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-make-whiskey-brandy-without-distillation/720308/25 "2015-05-19T20:49:05Z")

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> [@bump](#):
>
> [http://www.liquorquik.com/](http://www.liquorquik.com/)
> 
> Not a powder, but same basic idea.

Then there’s [Palcohol](http://www.palcohol.com/), which is a powder. I’m sure they are still using distillation to produce the original alcohol before encapsulating it in a powder.

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