The Ultimate Neutral Grain Spirits Guide 2022 - The Manual (2024)
There’s a somewhat hidden player in the spirits game and her name is neutral. Also known as rectified spirits or ethyl alcohol, neutral grain spirits are a high-octane concoction utilized in a variety of ways within the industry.
Neutral spirits tend to be employed in the making of things like whisky, certain liqueurs, and cut brandy. They are very alcoholic, clocking in anywhere between 55 and 95 percent alcohol by volume. Many are made from distilling wine (grape neutral spirits) while others are made from a variety of grains. But a neutral spirit can be assembled from just about anything, including corn, tubers, beets, and more.
Bartenders sometimes rely on them to up the ABV of a co*cktail. Some have broken out of obscurity to become household names among the mixologist community. Everclear, for example, which comes in versions as mighty as 190 proof (95% alcohol). It’s the stuff of peer pressure and awful hangovers or a flammable additive to a showy co*cktail.
Being neutral, the sensation is a decidedly bland one. What neutral spirits lack in terms of color, flavor, and fragrance is compensated by sheer alcoholic force. And that kind of sterile liquid environment has broad appeal, from limoncello producers to perfume makers. You can even reach a food-grade level of sterilization thanks to the stuff. And its strongest versions are actually outlawed in many U.S. states for fear of potential alcohol poisoning (enter Everclear’s hilarious 189-proof incarnation).
There are a variety of theories why neutral spirits have remained, well, pretty unsexy. The process to produce the stuff is pretty industrial, requiring repeated distillation to achieve such a towering alcohol content. Purists don’t like the idea of their favorite spirit being fortified with something else. And we don’t even need to get into the name “rectified spirit,” a term that’s made nobody thirsty pretty much ever.
But let’s not discount the many utilities of the neutral spirit. It serves as an important base for things like gin, whisky, and vodka. You’ll also find it playing a big role in things like sanitizing agents, cosmetic goods, and pharmaceutical creations. The DIY crowd takes advantage of the category when whipping up things like bitters or cassis at home. And this is to say nothing of the brave souls working on homemade moonshine.
Spirits like gin, aquavit, and absinthe have an especially close relationship with the stuff as these products are essentially a bunch of botanicals swimming in a neutral spirit. The high-alcohol backdrop marries and enhances the many aromatics and flavors at play, creating a harmonious end result. With brandy, you can typically tell how much is used just by glancing at the label.
The best way to think of neutral spirits is as a blank canvas of sorts upon which spirits makers, perfumers, shampoo creators, and more go to work. The alcohol functions as both a melding mechanism and preservative, which is especially important in piecing together some of your favorite spirits. They may not be artisanal, but that takes nothing away from the big roles they play.
Just don’t go trying any straight up anytime soon.
A pure grain alcohol is a highly purified product with a very neutral odor and taste. In its pure form, grain alcohol contains a minimum of 95 percent ABV. Grain alcohol that is 200-proof (100 percent ABV) is not for human consumption.
Infusing neutral spirit or vodka with different flavours is an easy, rewarding, and inexpensive way to add a variety of flavoured spirits to your liquor cabinet and spruce up your co*cktails. This is easy to do at home - all you need is some neutral spirit or vodka, and some of your favourite fruits, herbs, or spices.
Vodka typically begins as a neutral spirit (NS) with 95% ethanol (190 proof). Alcohol obtained from a mash of cereal grains is referred to as grain neutral spirit (GNS). Both are typically produced in bulk by specialist distillers using continuous/column stills.
Typically neutral alcohol is produced from grains: wheat, rye and corn, but some other starch- and sugar-based feedstock, such as potatoes, molasses, grapes, etc. can be used.
The most popular grains to make GNS are corn, wheat, barley, and rye. GNS provides the base alcohol for distilling gin and vodka. Even though it is not a legal requirement for either to be made from grain.
A simple way to achieve more accurate dilution is be adding the calculated quantity of water, measure the alcohol content of the solution, and then correcting it by adding small amounts of water.
Grain neutral spirits are distilled to an extremely high purity level, often distilled multiple times, up to 95 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), or 190 proof.
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).
The main point of Vodka is to be Neutral, to have no flavor of its own and no scent. In this regard, Tito's is true winner. There are no detractors to this stuff. If you want a real neutral spirit, look no further than Tito's.
Two big differences between tequila and vodka are core ingredients and taste. Vodka is made from starch or sugar and is known for its neutrality, while tequila is made specifically from blue agave sugar or other sugar sources, making tequila's flavor profile varied and stronger.
The term neutral refers to the fact that this rectified spirit should be tasteless and odorless, lacking a distinct flavor, aroma, or color. Grain neutral spirits are distilled to an extremely high purity level, often distilled multiple times, up to 95 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), or 190 proof.
Grain alcohol is used as a base in the production of other alcoholic beverages, such as gin, rum, and vodka, and it can also be used as a solvent or antiseptic. The production of grain alcohol involves the fermentation of grains, followed by distillation to increase the alcohol content.
Removing the grains prior to fermentation will mean that less tannins (polyphenols responsible for astringency in high concentrations) and other possibly off flavours are avoided.
How do I use Spirit Essences/Flavourings? Simply follow the instructions on the product; all this entails is adding the flavouring directly to your spirit in the prescribed quantity and giving it a mix - that's it!
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