From the 12th to the 14th centuries, the process of distillation moved from the east to eastern Europe, and finally to the west. This was also the period of the Renaissance, the awakening of a new Europe based on the rediscovery of knowledge from the ancient Greek world – much of it scientific, much of it learned at second hand – an age of scientific discovery and invention. And also an age of new dangers: the practice of spirit distillation spread in the wake of the plague, which no doubt led many to seek new ways and medicines to alleviate suffering and ward off death.

The church, initially against distilled spirits, eventually allowed monasteries to house stills, with their herb gardens providing the ingredients for early medicines and liqueurs. As missionaries moved west, they took their technology with them.