I dove into "How to Distill" by Aaron Hyde, and as someone who’s always been curious about the art of distilling, this book was an absolute gem! Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned home distiller looking to refine your craft, this guide has something for everyone. Hyde breaks down the entire process—from fermentation and still design to aging and blending—in a way that’s both approachable and incredibly detailed.

The book starts with the basics, explaining the science behind distillation and the equipment you’ll need, which was super helpful for someone like me who’s just starting out. Then, it walks you through each step of the process, from creating your mash to distilling and even aging your spirits. The step-by-step photos and clear instructions made everything feel manageable, even for a novice.

One of my favorite parts was the recipe section, which covers everything from bourbon and gin to rum and vodka. Each recipe is easy to follow and includes tips for tweaking flavors to suit your taste. I also appreciated the sections on flavor development and blending, which gave me a deeper understanding of how to create a truly unique spirit.

Hyde doesn’t shy away from addressing the legalities of home distilling, which is important for anyone considering this hobby. While the laws can be tricky, the book provides a solid foundation for understanding the process, so you can make informed decisions.

Overall, "How to Distill" is an incredibly thorough and well-written guide that’s both educational and inspiring. Whether you’re dreaming of crafting your own whiskey or just want to learn more about the science behind spirits, this book is a must-read. It’s definitely sparked my interest in distilling, and I can’t wait to give it a try (legally, of course)!

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A complete guide on "How to Distill"! From the fundamentals to flavor to packaging! and everything in between! Everything you want to know in one handy guide! Yes Please!

Distiller beware: Hyde cautions in the introduction that distilling, even for home use, is illegal in many places, including the United States. But then he presents a comprehensive introduction to home distilling. You'll learn about the somewhat overwhelming amount of equipment needed, plus different ingredients, types of distilled alcohol, and various recipes for creating your own. This does not appear to be an easy hobby to get into (consider knitting or sourdough if you're looking for something low-cost and friendly to start), but it could be fun and possibly all-consuming for the right person.

The author explains everything you need to know about distilling in plain English with a lot of photos of the tools and the ingredients.

The first chapter describe the process (mashing, fermenting, distilling, polishing (filtering), aging (maturation), blanding, sensory and bottling, Then you can find detailed receipes for the main spirits: gin vodka, rum, whiskey, and others plus a guide to choose the proper still. Finally a glossary, a making flavor diagram and an index complete the book.

A thorough overview of the processing stages in distilling from initial fermentation to bottling the final product with a short section on the legalities. It is clearly written and each process explained thoroughly. If I ever move to New Zealand or the UK laws change I'm ready to have a go. Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. Now, I have a background in Chemistry, and in fact, know some folks who are professional distillers, so something I appreciated off the bat is the author discussing checking to see if distilling at home is legal where you are.

Even if you aren't actually planning on distilling at home, this is an informative book that I think is an excellent addition to any alcohol fan's collection. Or any chemistry fan's, for that matter.

Hyde manages to do a wonderful job of combining visual, technical, and descriptions to create a book that is user friendly and I think is a great addition to anyone's collection.

The author begins by saying, “ This book has one goal…to teach you how to distill”. It certainly achieves its goal. This is an excellent, encyclopaedic account of how to distill and covers everything very thoroughly from before you start, equipment, and recipes for a variety of spirits. All very well illustrated. There is useful guidance on which still to use, how to blend and a helpful glossary. Thank you to Aaron Hyde, NetGalley and Quarto for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to Distill is a concise and well written guide to stills, fermentation, and the processes involved in making and aging spirits written by Aaron Hyde. Released 21st Dec 2021 by Quarto on their Harvard Common Press imprint, it's 224 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is such an information dense and useful book. I've been brewing for years and although I've brewed apple and plum wines, mead, and other potables, distilling spirits has always been something I wanted to explore "later". I was discouraged because the laws around distilling (for consumption) seemed so antiquated and complex, and the process so involved that I never got anywhere. The author systematically explains the process step by step. He also briefly (very briefly) explores some of the legalities involved, but most of the content is given over to the distillation process: mashing, fermenting, distilling, polishing (filtering), aging (maturation), blending & bottling. Following chapters contain recipes for spirits such as vodka, gin, schnapps, rum, & whiskey.

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with clear color photos and understandable text. The appendices include tutorials for understanding and making flavor diagrams, choosing and sourcing equipment, and some online e-tailers and information/instructional websites. There's also a short glossary with useful terms and explanations.

Five stars. Readers will need to research their own local laws to avoid running afoul of the government, but as for the actual process of fermentation and distillation, this book has got it covered. The book's slant and recipes are for potable spirits, and apart from the basic process, folks who are looking for essential oil, fuel oil, or other non-drinkable distilling will need to look elsewhere. This is a good place to start though.

Five stars. I especially liked the updated modern equipment overview and explanations.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very thorough book!

There's a lot of information on distilling, including laws and history around distilling and the steps. The book covers how to distill different spirits, the ingredients needed, monitoring the process, and more. The book covers different techniques and options for home distilling.

Overall an interesting read.