Production Methods

Sapiir production

Sapiir production

  

With the length of time that distillation has been in use, a large range of different processes have been adopted to refine the distilled products for different purposes. Many of these are now in use by Sapiir manufacturers around the world. Within the requirements of being a Sapiir, the key difference is in how the 4th requirement, Form, with 2 major processes being adopted:

  • Alcohol extraction – in these processes, a traditional gin or vodka is produced and the alcohol proportion is extracted using various industrial processes such as freeze extraction. These products benefit from the solvent properties of alcohol during the development of flavour during distillation but aren’t a viable option for halal certification due to the inclusion of alcohol during production.
  • Hydrasols – Hydrasols use steam extraction techniques to develop flavour profiles from botanical ingredients as a way of avoiding using alcohol. The downside to this production technique is that the method of extraction is more difficult without the use of alcohol and some botanicals are not able to be used. Hydrasol Sapiirs are eligible for Halal certification on this basis.

Other variations in production include:

Distillation equipment

  • Over the years there have been a range of different styles of distillation equipment, and different materials of construction. Many of these are appropriate for Sapiir production and manufacturers use a range of different stills to produce their particular products. Typical materials are copper or stainless steel for their mechanical and chemical properties.


Distillation proportion

  • The proportion of distilled product, with some Sapiirs using concentrated product to produce the end result and others maintaining up to 100% distilled product. 


Distillation passes

  • As with alcoholic distillates, Sapiirs can consist of just one or multiple passes through a distillation column. Arguably, the more passes through a distillation column the more refined the flavour is but this works on diminishing returns.


Blending process

  • While every Sapiir needs to be made from at least 4 individual botanicals, the process by which this is achieved can vary, similar to Gin manufacture. The main differences are in the use of a single or multiple distillations. Some producers will use a pot still style production with every botanical being added in one distillation, while others will individually distil each botanical and blend them together at the end. 


Stability

  • Various methods and products can be used to stabilise the product to satisfy the requirements of being a Sapiir, with each manufacturer having their own preferred approach to suit their blends.


Colour

  • Many Sapiir products are inspired by different alcoholic drinks and as such the colour of the different Sapiir often reflect that of their alcoholic cousins. Gin inspired Sapiir tend to be clear, with Whisky and Rum inspired creations often imitating the various colours and tones represented in these drinks.

Clarity

  • There is no restriction with regards to clarity of a Sapiir. Various levels of natural colouration and compounds exist to engender mouthfeel and depth of flavour across the genre. These profiles are developed through the different production techniques and botanicals employed during manufacture.