homeric cru

HOMERIC CRU® – ΠΑΛΑΙΩΜΕΝΟ ΤΣΙΠΟΥΡΟ – GRAPE MARC SPIRIT

Homeric Cru is a premium hand crafted aromatic aged grape marc spirit, emanating from the finest Greek grape varieties produced in our boutique distillery on the Ionian Island of Lefkada.

Its unique flavor is a reflection of the cellar master’s passion and attention to detail. It has been nurtured in harmony, distilled drop by drop, very slowly in a copper discontinuous alembic, at low temperature, and aged in French and American oak.

A bespoke limited edition with an outstanding aroma and a smooth velvet
flavor with a ricochet aftermath to its sens

January 18th, 2017
By
Homeric Cru

Distillation Approach

We select the purest “heart” of the distillation process, by cutting large amounts of “heads” and “tails”, in our discontinuous copper pot alembic(still).

Discontinuous Distillation Method: Not to be confused with continuous industrialised distillation, which produces lower quality distillates, due to mass production, higher temperatures and shorter distillation periods.

At Lefkas Distillery & Winery, we use the discontinuous distillation method, collecting the “heart” drop by drop, for many hours at low temperature/ atmospheric pressure. As a result, our artisan and premium process delivers an end product that has more character and taste.

Hence, unlike other industrialised distilleries, that have on average a 3 hour turn-over which is automatically controlled electronically, our process takes on average 12 hours per distillation and requires the Master Distiller’s attention during the whole process.

Pros of Copper Still:

  • Improves quality and aroma of final product.
  • Catalyses the breakdown of volatile substances i.e. esters and sulphuric compounds. During the fermentation process, these substances are produced and are highly unwanted in the distillate.
  • Prevents the production of ethylcarbamide.

Head: This is the first part of the distilled liquid, which contains unpleasant substances/ odours. Removal is necessary until the “heart” run begins.

Heart: This is the middle/ best part of the distillation process, which is full of aromatic substances and the largest amount of ethyl alcohol.

Ethyl Alcohol: Boiling point 78.4°C

Tail: This is the last part of the process, removal is necessary, in order to discard methyl alcohol and fusel oils/ other unwanted substances.

Raw Material: Grape marc (Tsipoura), must be as pure as possible and not oxidized, hence, the skins of the grapes shouldn’t be stored, for large time intervals, until distillation begins. Furthermore, we select the finest aromatic grape varieties, in order to produce an excellent grape distillate.

November 18th, 2015
By
Our Production Approach

History of Distillation

A brief note overviewing historical perspectives of distillation

What is distillation?

The term itself, distil, emanates from the latin ‘destillare’, meaning to drip down. Distillation can be described as a process of separating the component substances from a liquid mixture by selective evaporation and condensation.

For example, by separating water, alcohol, aromatic and volatile components accordingly.

An installation for distillation specifically of alcohol, is a distillery. The distillation equipment is a still or an alembic.

Distilling is based on the concept of different substances turning to vapour at different temperatures. This process was known to the ancient Greeks for centuries before the sophisticated stills developed by the chemists of Alexandria.

An early record of distilling wine, according to some scholars, is attributed to Anaxilaus of Thessaly, in the first century BC. Such spirits were used in Dionysian cults when celebrating festivals and religious rituals.

Aristotle states that the Greeks in the 5th century used distillation as a method of transforming sea water into drinking water. The chemists of Alexandria were familiar with the distillation of certain alcoholic drinks, with the use of alembics, before the 6th century AD, in addition to their medicinal, cosmetic perfume production.

In the 10th century AD, at the Greek monasteries of Mt. Athos, where viticulture and wine making was practised and is still as popular there today, the left over grape marc was taken for distillation, thereby creating an ancient form of tsipouro.

Another early written historical recording of making alcohol from wine [similar to producing brandy tsipouro grappa today] is found in a latin alchemist’s script in Salerno, Southern Italy, 1150 AD. It is also noted, that Villeneuve at the French University of Montpellier in 1250 AD, distilled wine and called it ‘eau-de-vie’, “the water of life”.

During the 16th century AD, the prominent alchemist Theofrastus Paracelsus, coined the term ‘alcohol’, thus naming the product of distillation.

Furthermore, in the late 18th century, the first modernization of the alembic still is noted. The French chemist Dr Chaptale in 1780 and Edward Adam in 1805, made other improvements and adaptations that are reflected in the structure of today’s distillery equipment.

August 3rd, 2015
By
History