Alcohol is called "spirits" because of the distillation process used to produce it. When a fermented liquid like wine or beer is heated, the alcohol vaporizes before the water does. Early distillers saw this vapor as the "spirit" of the liquid—its purest and most vital essence—and then condensed it back into liquid form. This term reflects how distillation captures the concentrated essence or "spirit" of the original liquid. The use of the word "spirits" for distilled alcoholic beverages dates back to the Middle Ages and also carries mystical and alchemical associations, where alcohol was seen as capturing the "soul" or "spirit" of the drink.
