WHAT IS A COLUMN STILL?

The column still revolutionized spirits production in the 19th century, enabling continuous distillation and the creation of lighter, purer spirits at unprecedented scale. Also known as a continuous still or Coffey still, this innovation transformed the entire spirits industry.

Unlike pot stills, which operate in batches, column stills run continuously. The wash enters near the top of the column while steam enters at the bottom. As the wash descends through perforated plates, it meets rising steam, causing alcohol to vaporize and rise while water and heavier compounds fall.

The height of the column and the number of plates determine the final spirit's purity. Taller columns with more plates produce cleaner, lighter spirits by allowing more rectification - the repeated condensation and re-vaporization that separates compounds based on their boiling points.

Column stills excel at producing neutral spirits like vodka and are essential for Spanish-style rums, bourbon, and many other categories. Their efficiency and consistency made large-scale commercial spirits production possible, though some argue they sacrifice character for purity.

Modern distilleries often use both pot and column stills, sometimes in combination, to achieve specific flavor profiles. Understanding column still operation is fundamental to appreciating how different spirits categories develop their distinctive characteristics.