January, 1500 : Instead of importing wine, countries such as Germany started distilling with cereal grains. They used a distilling apparatus with a tall cone shape to cool the distillate, like the ones shown above. Scandinavian countries tried to prevent this type of distillation, but the thirst for spirits grew.
Source: T. Fairley, The Early History of Distillation. Singer, C. (1954). A history of technology, Vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon Press.