according to Wikipedia
(at; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distillation ) evidence of distillation
of beverages (a still dated to the 12th century) was discovered at
an archaeological site in Qinglong, in Hebei province China, and
Clear evidence of the distillation of alchohol comes from the
School of Salerno in the 12th century. The place where distillation is
carried out, like this one in Valle de Elqui, Chile, is called a distillery.

C U on the email, keith 