Stills from Myanmar and Crete @museum.de

M: Distilling spirits isn't a purely European affair. High-proof liquor is distilled all over the world. On the left, there's a still from Myanmar in South-East Asia on display. The most common distillation product there is rice spirit.

F: Rice brandy, also called arrack, is made from rice mash, which is mixed with either palm juice or sugar cane. In terms of taste, arrack is reminiscent of rum and is between 35 and 70 proof.

M: This traditional still was in use until just a few years ago. The mash went into the lower pot, while the upper vessel was filled with cold water. The condensate later emerged through the pipe.

F: On the right, you can see a traditional still from the Greek island of Crete. In this case, the pot at the bottom is made of copper and is heated over a fire. The alcoholic steam is piped into a pottery cooling vessel that's filled with water during the distillation process.

M: This still may well have been used to produce the Cretan national beverage, raki. It's made from what's known as pomace, the pulpy residue of grapes that have been pressed. Raki is clear, not unlike Italian grappa, and is about 40 per cent proof. Unlike Turkish raki or ouzo, however, it doesn't contain aniseed.