wine or other fermented fruit juice or from various cereal grains that have first been brewed.
The essential ingredient is usually a natural sugar or a starchy substance that may be easily converted into a sugar. The distillation process is based on the different boiling points of water (212 kF [100 kC]) and alcohol (173 kF [78.5 kC]). The alcohol vapours that arise while the fermented liquid boils are trapped and recondensed to create a liquid of much greater alcoholic strength. The resultant distillate is matured, often for several years, before it is packaged and sold. See also aquavit ; brandy ; gin ; liqueur ; rum ; vodka ; and whiskey .