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Everclear is a brand name of rectified spirit (also known as grain alcohol and neutral spirit) produced by the American company Luxco (formerly known as the David Sherman Corporation, and since 2021 a subsidiary of MGP Ingredients). It is made from grain[2] and is bottled at 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume (120, 151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof respectively).[3] Due to its market prevalence and having one of the highest alcohol contents of any beverage, the product has become iconic with a "notorious reputation" in popular culture.[4][5] Sale of the 190-proof variant is prohibited in some states, which led Luxco to start selling the 189-proof version.[6][7]
 A bottle of 190-proof Everclear. | |
| Type | Rectified spirit |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Luxco |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1922[1] |
| Alcohol by volume | 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% |
| Proof (US) | 120, 151, 189 and 190 |
| Color | Colorless |
| Website | www |
It has been called the "King of Grain Alcohol".[8]
Consumption
editAccording to the manufacturer, Everclear "should be viewed as an unfinished ingredient", not consumed directly in undiluted form, and the company acknowledges that the product "has a rather notorious reputation" due to its high alcohol content.[5][dead link] Rather than consuming Everclear directly, the company says it should be diluted by mixing it with water or other ingredients until the alcohol strength of the drink is "no more dangerous than other spirits or liqueurs on the shelf".[5] For example, ordinary vodka, gin, rum and tequila have an alcohol concentration typically around 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof), and liqueurs are typically around 20% alcohol (40 proof).[5]
Everclear is also used as a household "food-grade" cleaner, disinfectant, or stove fuel alcohol because its fumes and odor are less offensive than isopropyl, rubbing, and denatured alcohol which are toxic to breathe or drink. Everclear is also used for extracting flavor from other ingredients to make infusions and tinctures because of its neutral flavor profile.
Similar brands
editLuxco also manufactures two other brands, Golden Grain alcohol and Crystal Clear alcohol, as essentially the same spirit with a different brand name.[9] Several other brands of grain neutral spirits are also available on the market from other companies.
Alcohol content
editEthanol cannot be concentrated by ordinary distillation to greater than 97.2% by volume (95.6% by weight), because at that concentration, the vapor has the same ratio of water to alcohol as the liquid, a phenomenon known as azeotropy.[10] The 190-proof variant of Everclear is 92.4% ethanol by weight and is thus produced at approximately the practical limit of distillation purity.[citation needed]
Some U.S. states impose limits on maximum alcohol content, or have other restrictions that prohibit the sale of the 190-proof variant of Everclear, and several of those also effectively prohibit lower-proof Everclear.[6][7]
In popular culture
edit- American rock band Everclear is named after the spirit. "Pure White Evil", a nickname for the drink coined by the band's singer/guitarist Art Alexakis, was the original working title for their album So Much for the Afterglow.[citation needed]
- It also features in the film Dr. Strangelove, in which General Jack Ripper drinks only grain alcohol and rain water.[11]
See also
edit- Ethanol (ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol)
- Liquor
- Denatured alcohol
References
edit- ^ "How Everclear Became the King of Grain Alcohol". 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Everclear". Luxco official website. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ Donn Lux (12 November 2010). "President's Message". Luxco. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
- ^ Carman, Tim (September 26, 2018). "Everclear wants you to start thinking of it as a craft cocktail ingredient. Good luck with that". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2020 – via PressReader.com.
- ^ a b c d "FAQ page". Everclear official website. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ a b "Report to Congress on the prevention and reduction of underage drinking - Policy summary: High-proof grain alcoholic beverages" (PDF). United States Department of Health and Human Services - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ^ a b Danae King (30 June 2014). "Laws including high-proof grain alcohol ban take effect Tuesday". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ Goldfarb, Aaron (2020-10-18). "How Everclear Became the King of Grain Alcohol". VinePair. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
- ^ "Neutral Spirits". Luxco official website. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ 95.6% according to 49th edition of CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Perry's Handbook gives 10.57 mole percent water, which is 95.58 weight percent.
- ^ Kubrick, Stanley; Southern, Terry (November 7, 2024). "Dr. Strangelove" (PDF). Archivio Rubrick. p. 28. Retrieved November 7, 2024.