7 Best Distilling Books for the DIY Distiller
Distilling your own spirits at home can be a fun and rewarding hobby. But with so many books on the market, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this guide, we ranked and reviewed the 7 best distilling books, along with our top 5 choices, to identify for beginners and experts alike, so you can choose the best for you.
One critical factor to consider when purchasing a distilling book is the level of detail provided. Some books are geared towards beginners and provide a high-level overview of the distilling process, while others dive deep into the science and techniques behind creating specific spirits.
What are the Best Distilling books?
Here are our top picks for the best distilling books:
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The Joy of Home Distilling:
If you’re looking to start distilling at home, The Joy of Home Distilling is a great book to have on hand. It’s straight to the point and covers everything you need to know to get started. It covers from fermentation to distilling.
Pros
Cons
Why Get This Book:
It’s an ideal resource for anyone interested in making their own spirits, offering clear instructions and helpful tips for both beginners and experienced distillers. The book encourages experimentation and personalization in spirit-making, allowing readers to craft unique spirits.
With its focus on both practical and theoretical aspects of distilling, it provides readers with a solid foundation in the art of distilling, ensuring both quality and safety in the spirits produced.
Home Distilling Handbook – 1st edition
If you’re looking for a beginner’s guide to home distilling, then the Home Distilling Handbook is a great choice. We recommend this book for those who want to learn the basics of distilling and start experimenting with different recipes.
Pros
Cons
Why Get This Book:
This handbook is ideal for those new to distilling, providing a straightforward and comprehensive guide to start their journey to learn how to distil their own liquor at home. It contains practical information, making it a useful resource for learning the science behind whiskey making and other spirits.
The book’s focus on essential knowledge without filler content makes it a streamlined and efficient guide for beginners.
Raise the Bar – The Home Distiller’s Guide:
“Raise the Bar” is an all-encompassing guide tailored for beginners in home distilling, offering detailed instructions on creating various spirits and cocktails. The book bridges the gap between amateur from beer, wine and to distilling strong spirits.
Pros
Cons
Why Get This Book:
It’s an ideal resource for anyone starting their journey in home distilling, offering a solid foundation in various distilling techniques. The book provides a rich variety of recipes and methods, ensuring that readers have plenty to experiment with.
Besides distilling, it also delves into cocktail creation, enhancing the reader’s mixology skills for personal enjoyment or entertaining guests.
Tabletop Distilling: How to Make Spirits, Essences, and Essential Oils with Small Stills
The book is a detailed guide on distilling with small, tabletop stills, focusing on making spirits, essences, and essential oils. It’s designed to teach the techniques and procedures needed to distil raw natural materials for various applications.
Pros
Cons
Why Get This Book:
We found it to be a great resource for anyone interested in hobby distilling. It explains everything you need to know to use your small still, and provides recipes, tips, and much more. We must say it’s also a very beautiful book with quality paper, an amazing layout, and beautiful photos.
So the book’s structure can be a bit confusing at times, and it uses terms that it does not define. After all of that, we highly recommend Tabletop Distilling: How to Make Spirits, Essences, and Essential Oils with Small Stills if you’re interested in hobby distilling.
Home Distilling Handbook, 2nd Edition
The book is designed for beginners in distilling, focusing on the complete process of making high-quality whiskey and other spirits. It aims to provide essential knowledge without unnecessary content, making it practical and to-the-point.
Pros
Cons
Why Get This Book:
It’s an ideal starting point for those new to distilling, offering a clear and concise introduction to the craft. The language is easy to understand, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced distillers. The inclusion of practical tools like record sheets and recipes makes it a hands-on guide.
We think the Home Distilling Handbook, 2nd Edition is a great resource for anyone interested in home distilling. The book’s focus on safety and proper equipment usage is crucial for beginners in home distilling.
Distilling Fruit Brandy
This is a guide to distilling fruit brandy, this book is a great choice. It’s packed with information, including detailed instructions and helpful tips. However, if you’re a beginner, you may find some of the technical information overwhelming.
Pros
Cons
Why Get This Book:
This book is ideal for home brewers, and artisans who are keen to expand their knowledge in distilling fruit brandy. It offers a thorough introduction to grain distillation, adding value for those interested in expanding beyond fruit brandy.
If you love brandy, we would recommend this as the best distilling books to anyone who is serious about distilling fruit brandy. Just be aware that the technical nature of the content may be overwhelming for some readers.
How to Distill: A Complete Guide from Still Design and Fermentation through Distilling and Aging Spirits
This book offers an all-encompassing guide on home distilling, addressing everything from basic principles to advanced flavor development and packaging.
Aaron Hyde shares his expertise on key processes, including mash and fermentation, distilling, aging, and blending spirits.
Pros
Cons
Why is this the Best Distilling Book for a Beginner?:
It’s an essential resource for anyone interested in home distilling, whether a beginner or an experienced distiller. The book’s emphasis on quality and process control helps in producing high-quality spirits.
It offers a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical advice, making it a valuable addition to a home distiller’s library.
How to choose the best distilling books
When it comes to choosing the best distilling books, there are a few key features to consider. Here are some factors to keep in mind when making your selection:
Consider your level of expertise before making a purchase. Some books are geared towards beginners, while others are more advanced. Make sure you choose a book that matches your knowledge and experience.
Look for a book that covers the topics you’re interested in. Some books focus on a specific type of spirit, while others cover a wide range of topics. Consider what you want to learn and choose a book that covers those topics.
With all of this in mind, we hope this complete guide could possibly be the reason you started a distillery in the future. Having these as a home distiller’s workbook guide will be the basis for learning distilling techniques for making vodka, whiskey, gin, brandy or rum. This will make your craft distilling journey a fun and learning experience.
Last Updated on Nov 29, 2023 by The Brew Mechanic
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With 35 years of knowledge of being a chemical engineer in alcohol manufacturing plants, my mission is to teach the next generation of home distilling alcohol brewers at a supernatural speed.
My reviews are based on real-life experiences with reflux stills, sugar wash, troubleshooting and mystical chemical reactions.
