Not every alcoholic beverage starts with some neutral spirits or has a neutral spirit. However it is an important part of some alcoholic beverages. Two popular drinks which begin with neutral alcohol include vodka and gin.
The following lets you know of some key properties of neutral spirits so that you can know more about them:
What actually is a neutral spirit?
Neutral spirits are also referred to as neutral alcohol, rectified spirits, plus rectified alcohol or even ethyl alcohol that tends to be highly concentrated ethanol distilled till it reaches a min. ABV is of 95%.
Neutral spirits are made from stuff like grains, grapes, molasses, potatoes, as well as other agricultural products. Neutral spirits are said to be neutral when it comes to flavor and odor. There are even colorless. However, you can find some slight "flavor" variations amongst neutral spirits.
Neutral spirits are often employed to make spirits like vodka as well as gin. They are also able to "cut" liqueurs and even make bitters. The neutrality of rectified spirits, allows it to be useful in various other industries like the food, non-alcoholic beverage, cosmetics, perfumery, as well as pharmaceutical industry. Neutral spirits that are made for cosmetics and perfumes can have denaturing agents added to them so as to limit tax and stop human consumption.
Various grades and kinds of neutral spirits
You need to know that various quality grades for neutral spirits are present. The grade of the particular spirits will determine what it will be used for.
Extra-Neutral Alcohol- Extra Neutral Alcohol or ENA is also referred to as extra-fine alcohol or even surfin. It is a high distillate alcohol that has no impurities. The ethanol grade is ethanol 96% ABV or even higher.
When it comes to ENA, it is employed for beverage and also non-beverage uses. For beverages it is the base ingredient used to make spirits like vodka and gin. When used in cosmetics, it acts like a preservative and also for antibacterial purposes. It also behaves like solvents for items like hairsprays, lotions, perfumes, etc. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is employed to make vaccines, vitamins, pills, and even antibiotics. It is used to make stuff like paints, varnishes as well as cleaning products.
The types of ENA that are most popular to use in beverages include Grain Neutral Spirits or GNS. You can find organic grain alcohol if you want something organic. You can get potato-based neutral alcohol, grape neutral spirits, as well as molasses-based ENA.
If you are looking for neutral spirits, you should know that only a few brands are present which easily sell them off the market. It is important that you buy from a reputable seller who will give you exactly what you are looking for. Avoid shady dealers who do not follow the law and have stuff that is of a low-quality. This is why you should do your research before buying any neutral spirits.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
