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Let’s Clear Things Up: How to Avoid Blobs, Hazes, and Settling in the Bottle

Understanding and knowing how to address various issues that can create an unsightly spirit can help you put your best foot forward as a distiller.

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Photo: Gabe Toth
Photo: Gabe Toth

While spirits are more stable than some other beverages, that doesn’t mean they’re immune to visual flaws that can turn off a consumer.

It’s often said that we drink first with our eyes, and as distillers we should think through our processes carefully to avoid putting products on the shelf that show haze, flocculation, or floaties.

Some of the issues we need to watch for include the presence of physical material such as dust or ingredient solids. There are some straightforward technical ways to minimize those visual issues—especially filtration—but it also helps to have some understanding of the underlying chemistry that can cause them.

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