Everclear (alcohol)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type | Neutral grain spirit |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Luxco |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Alcohol by volume | 95% or 75.5% |
| Proof | 190 or 151 |
| Color | Colorless |
| Flavour | Neutral, contains no flavoring |
Everclear is a brand of neutral grain spirit that is available at concentrations of 75.5% alcohol (151 proof) and 95% alcohol (190 proof),[1] in contrast to hard liquors such as rum and vodka, which typically contain 40%–60% alcohol (80–120 proof).
Since 95.6% ethanol and 4.4% water form an azeotrope (meaning that simple distillation cannot remove any of the remaining water), 191-proof spirits are the maximum proof that is available from the distilled beverage industry.
Because Everclear is a neutral grain spirit, it is relatively low in congeners.
Everclear is manufactured by Luxco (formerly the David Sherman Company).[2]
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[edit] Availability in North America
[edit] Canada
In Canada, Everclear is sold in the province of Alberta, but not in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and most other provinces.
[edit] United States
[edit] 190-proof
It is illegal to sell the 190-proof variety in some states of the United States, namely California, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Everclear 190 is legally sold in some military stores within the continental United States.
[edit] 151-proof
In California, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and some other states, the 151-proof variety is sold.
[edit] Uses
Everclear is commonly added to a variety of other drinks, such as soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juice, and iced tea. It is used in some cocktails[3] and sometimes in place of vodka or rum in Jello shots.
Everclear is also used in cooking because it extracts flavors exceptionally well. It can be used to make homemade liqueurs, such as limoncello.
Everclear can be used to prepare medicinal tinctures and spice extracts. This is done by soaking herbs in it for several days and then straining out the solid material.
Everclear (the 190-proof variety) is sometimes used by backpackers as fuel in alcohol stoves (often a homemade beverage-can stove). It burns cleanly, and since it is not as toxic as methanol and isopropanol, it can be stored inside cookware without contamination.
[edit] In popular culture
Everclear is featured in Minnesota humorist Garrison Keillor’s novel Lake Wobegon Days. In one scene, a housewife throws her husband’s cup of coffee onto a kitchen fire to douse it, whereupon the coffee bursts into flame. She later finds a bottle of Everclear labeled “DON’T THROW OUT” under the kitchen sink, and correctly surmises that her husband had put a shot of it in his coffee.
A song called “The Everclear Song” was written by Mike Ethan Messick and performed by him on his album Bootlegger’s Turn. It was covered by Roger Creager on his album Having Fun All Wrong.
In the 2001 musical film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Tommy Gnosis asks Hedwig if she is drunk. She replies, “I’m not drunk; I’m enjoying a little rainwater and Everclear.” [4]
In the Tucker Max book I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, Max refers to the Tucker Max Death Mix, a mixture of Everclear, Gatorade, and Red Bull energy drink which is drank from a CamelBak.
The Portland rock band Everclear was named after it.[5]
Bushwick Bill has a song called "Ever So Clear" with references to Everclear.
In Commander Keen episode 1: Marooned on Mars, Commander Keen's spaceship uses Everclear as fuel.
It can be seen in the Season 5 episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "The World Series Defense." The gang mixes large quantities of grain alcohol with blue Gatorade to create "Riot Punch" to drink at the Philadelphia World Series game.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "(brands)". luxco.com. http://www.luxco.com/public/brands/specs/specification.asp?brandid=21&brandname=EVERCLEAR. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ "(company)". luxco.com. http://www.luxco.com/public/company/pres.html. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ "Cocktails with Everclear". Drinknation.com. http://www.drinknation.com/ingbrowse/Everclear. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ August 21, 2007 (2007-08-21). "At 3 min 5 sec". Youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdSotkOhpso. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ , http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Everclear:band.htm
