Why is hard liquor called spirits

Gin is a dry drink that is predominantly non-sweet and is distilled from barley, corn, and rye, and derives its distinct flavor from juniper berries. However, the element of intoxication and behaviors of intoxicated entities can shed a light on the reasons why these kinds of alcohol have been known as spirits for a long time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

AlcoholicAcademy is the internet's 1 drinking school. Whether you want to learn how to shotgun a beer or learn about the history of what you're drinking, we've got your covered. Home Featured Uncategorized AAbout. Sign in. Forgot your password? Get help. Password recovery. Friday, November 12, By Alcoholic. May 20, One or other of certain subtle highly-refined substances or fluids distinguished as natural, animal, and vital formerly supposed to permeate the blood and chief organs of the body.

In later use only pl. Trevisa tr. Higden Polychron. John's Cambr. Norton Ordinall of Alchimy v, in E. Ashmole Theatrum Chem. Elyot Castel of Helthe new ed. There are further entries on this down to the 19th century. However from the 17th century the notion of spirits as a refined substance generally seems to become accepted sense 21 -.

A liquid of the nature of an essence or extract from some substance, esp. French Art Distillation v. Chambers Cycl. Davy Elements Agric. It would seem therefore that the etymological route is from spirare - to breathe , to spirit - meaning "alive", to substances supposed to permeate the blood - and finally to refined materials like alcohol, turpentine etc.

The Hebrew information per David is interesting. Spiro spiravi, spiratus, spirare according to my Latin dictionary Virgil used it in idioms to mean variously of strong odour; be propitious; to breathe, blow, be exhaled, burst forth, rage, figuratively to be inspired, have poetic inspiration and Horace born 65BC to breathe, live, be alive - videtur Laeli mens spirare etiam in scriptis: spirat adhuc amor puellae.

It doesn't say anything about "spirit" in the sense of the non-corporeal. Another English - Latin dictionary indicates the word for soul was animus m and ghost - anima f. So it would appear that the linkage between breath e and spirit does not emerge from Latin, at least not classical Latin. Might be interesting to look at how medieval Latin dealt with it or to hear from a modern Italian speaker such as Mari-Lou A.

Just to add to Josh's correct answer; it appears that the use of the word "spirit" in connection with distillation fist came about in the Middle East. Wikipedia states:. The term "spirit" in reference to alcohol stems from Middle Eastern alchemy.

These alchemists were more concerned with medical elixirs than with transmuting lead into gold. The vapor given off and collected during an alchemical process as with distillation of alcohol was called a spirit of the original material. Spirits, in the alcoholic sense, refers specifically to a particular type of drink, one manufactured by a process involving distillation, such as whisky or gin.

Beer, for instance, is brewed traditionally from hops , not distilled. And beer or, originally, mead has historically represented, by volume, far and away the largest percentage of alcohol consumed in the English-speaking world.

Wine, for instance, is fermented in a fermentation process traditionally based upon grapes. Likewise cider. So there is no logical or etymological reason to suppose that the term spirits has ever referred to alcohol in general. So how did a word come to mean something both holy and wholly intoxicating? But this explanation is suspect. The New Testament identifies five images for the Holy Spirit: a dove, tongues, fire, wind, and water.

Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. President Lyndon Johnson and Harold Holt, the former prime minister of Australia, enjoy a spirited conversation. Not all alcohols are considered spirits, typically they have to be distilled to categorized as one. It is more especially taken for a most subtil and highly refined Powder, and sometimes for a very pure Spirit: Thus the highest rectified Spirit of Wine is called Alcohol Vini.

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