Part 3/13:
They explain that yeast, which ferments sugars into alcohol, essentially poisons itself in the process, leading to a natural ceiling on how alcohol-rich these drinks could become. It wasn't until the advent of distillation—a process that heats fermented liquids, captures the volatile ethanol vapor, and condenses it into concentrates—that humans gained access to ultra-potent spirits measuring well over 90% alcohol by volume. This technological development, emerging around the 1300s in China and the 1500s-1600s in Europe, opened a new chapter in alcohol history, albeit one fraught with danger due to the risks involved in home distillation and the potential for explosions and poisoning.