Rectified spirit

Rectified spirit
Rectified spirit made by Polmos.

A rectified spirit, rectified alcohol, or neutral spirit is highly concentrated ethanol which has been purified by means of repeated distillation, a process that is called rectification. It typically contains 95% alcohol by volume (ABV). Rectified spirits are used in mixed drinks, in the production of liqueurs, for medicinal purposes, and as a household solvent.

The purity of rectified spirit has a practical limit of 95.6% ABV (191.2 US proof) when produced using conventional distillation processes, because a mixture of ethanol and water becomes an azeotrope at this concentration.

Neutral grain spirits are rectified spirits made from grain. However, rectified spirits are also made from other kinds of plant material, such as sugar beets, potatoes, and sugar cane. Rectified spirits are illegal for nonmedical purposes in some nations (including India[citation needed]), and were banned until recently[when?] in Canada, but they are legal in most Western nations.

Contents

United States

A rectified spirit that is commonly available in the United States is Everclear, bottled by Luxco. Everclear is available in both a 95% ABV (190 US proof) version and in a version diluted to 75.5% ABV (151 US proof), although some states have banned the 190-proof variety.

A brand of rectified spirit labeled as Spirytus Stawski is imported from Poland to the United States by Stawski Imports of Chicago, Illinois.[1] One can also purchase (at least in the Chicago area) imported rectified spirit with the Polmos label. Both brands are available in a 95% ABV (190 US proof) version and in a version diluted to 76% ABV (152 US proof).

Poland

In Polish, spirytus rektyfikowany means rectified spirit. The Polish product is labelled as 96% ABV. There are several different Polish companies that sell spirytus. Most of these are part of the former state-owned monopoly Polmos, which is now being privatized.[citation needed]

Germany

In German, rectified spirit is generically called Primasprit (colloquial) or, more technically, Neutralalkohol. It contains 95.6% alcohol (191.2 US proof) and is usually available in apothecaries only (some Russian food stores do sell it as well). In the former East Germany, it was available in regular stores.

In Germany, Primasprit is most often used for making homemade liqueurs; other types of use are rare. Most of the Primasprit produced in Germany is made from grain and is therefore a neutral grain spirit.

See also

External links

  1. ^ "STAWSKI DISTRIBUTING". http://stawskidistributing.com/polishspirits.html#Spirytus. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 

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