Corn, peach, honey and cinnamon. Willem from Strijp district uses these to distill spirits using an installation he bought on the internet. Distilling at home is prohibited in the Netherlands; yet the Eindhoven resident is not afraid of a fine. “I like this much better”.
He bought a kind of pot set for distilling liquor on the internet for less than €120. When it arrived, he started making a basic brew. He threw peach, honey, corn and cinnamon in a pan and boiled it. He added 2 kilos of sugar to it, and then yeast. “You leave that for two weeks. When you see that the mixture becomes completely clear, you can see that the fermentation process is over and then you can start distilling”.
Simmering
In the kitchen, the distillation system is now simmering on the gas stove. Willem enthusiastically explains how the process continues, pointing to the various components of his new purchase. “Water goes in here. When that steam cools down, the alcohol comes out here”. His finger points to a tube from which clear liquid leaks into a cup.
Illegal
In the Netherlands, it is illegal to distill alcohol yourself without the necessary permits. The distillation process can produce hazardous substances, such as methanol, which are harmful to health. The government also loses income from excise duties when people distill alcohol themselves and therefore do not pay the usual tax. In order to be allowed to distill alcohol legally, a permit is required, which is issued by Customs.
Mark Migchiels of the Bottle Distillery on the former Campina site in Eindhoven sees people every week who are interested in the distilling process. He suspects that there is some illegal distilling going on in Eindhoven on a small scale. The company offers tours and workshops where customers can brew their own drink. This is done 100 per cent legally. “We have already manufactured the alcohol in advance for the workshops. When people start, there are already 25 pure distillates ready. From cloves, for example, but also other flavours. Visitors can then combine these and get their own drink”.
The distillery has all the necessary permits and is regularly inspected by Customs. “That’s a good thing”, Migchels says. “Anything can really go wrong. Recently, somewhere in a holiday resort, tourists died after drinking the wrong alcohol. That’s what happens”.
Willem from Strijp doesn’t care about these rules. He also doesn’t worry about a possible fine. The home distiller doesn’t mind the government missing out on excise duties this way. In fact, when this comes up, he starts laughing broadly. For him, distilling has nothing to do with money. “I don’t do it to save money, no, are you crazy? Just because I like it and because it tastes much better. There’s no junk in it, all pure ingredients and no preservatives. And uh… otherwise I’d get bored of myself too”.
Good stuff
Willem’s end product – which contains an estimated sixty per cent alcohol – tastes mild. With a slight reminiscence of the cinnamon he added to the basic mixture. Friends who come by all get a sip. They look happy after tasting it. “Good stuff, man”. But taking a bottle home is out of the question: Willem has only produced a few coffee cups full of drink. If Customs catches him, the fine won’t be very high.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
