Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)This work presents the application of a differential distillation model for the simulation of cachaca production in a pot still (alembic). The vapor-liquid equilibria of the multicomponent mixture were described in a rigorous way, using the nonrandom two-liquid model for the liquid phase activity coefficients and the virial equation with the chemical theory for the vapor phase fugacity coefficients. Two experimental trials were performed in order to validate the simulation results. The boiling points of the wine and the ethanol concentration of the distillate were measured at fixed time intervals. The concentrations of acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, methanol, n-propanol, isobutanol and isoamyl alcohol, and the volatile acidity were analyzed in the head, heart and tail fractions of the distillate. In general, a good agreement was achieved between the experimental and the simulation results, in terms of the temperature and the alcoholic graduation profiles, and also a satisfactory similitude in terms of the concentrations of the main congeners.331226252Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [06/04471-4, 05/02079-7, 05/53095-2, 07/08136-8]CNPq [303649/2004-6]