Sometime in the 1st century AD, the Arabs came up with the distillation of alcohol somewhere in the region between the Euphrates and the Tigris. However, the resulting liquid was originally used for medical purposes and for the production of fragrant essences. At this time, the Chinese also invented distillation, but they too used alcohol for medical purposes and the production of fragrant essences. The process of distillation was also known in Egypt, where it was used for the production of magical burning essences.

The art of distillation reached Europe at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries thanks to the Crusades to the Middle East. It was not until the 13th century that fractional distillation was invented thanks to the alchemist Taddeo Alderotti of Florence; at this time, private and municipal distilleries began to spread, and alcohol began to be used for drinking and not just for medical purposes.