When it comes to drinking alcohol, purity is an important consideration for many people. The purer an alcohol is, the less potential contaminants and congeners (byproducts from fermentation) it contains. This results in a cleaner, smoother taste and less likelihood of a hangover. But what exactly is “pure” alcohol, and which types are the purest options for drinking?
What is Pure Alcohol?
Pure alcohol refers to ethanol (ethyl alcohol) that is 100% ABV (alcohol by volume). This means it contains no water or other dilutants. Pure ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid that is highly flammable. It has a sharp, burning taste and is undrinkable even in small quantities due to its high alcohol concentration.
In beverage alcohol, pure ethanol is never consumed straight. Even the strongest spirits are diluted to make them palatable for drinking. Vodka, for example, ranges from 40-50% ABV. The purity of a vodka or other spirit refers to the lack of additional components besides ethanol and water.
The Purest Types of Drinkable Alcohol
Here are some of the purest forms of consumable alcohol, based on their ethanol content and how they are produced:
Vodka
Vodka is considered one of the purest forms of drinkable alcohol. Traditional vodka is composed almost entirely of water and ethanol, with little to no added sugar, flavors, or congeners from fermentation. It gets its pure, neutral taste from a distilling process that removes impurities. Premium brands like Grey Goose are distilled several times for maximum purity.
Gin
Like vodka, gin is also distilled to remove impurities. And neutral-tasting gins are primarily ethanol and water. However, most gins also contain botanical flavorings like juniper, citrus, spices, herbs, and flowers. So while not 100% pure ethanol and water, quality gins have very minimal ingredients.
Rum
Rum contains a few more congeners than vodka and gin. But high-quality rums are still relatively pure, with ethanol distilled from fermented molasses or sugarcane juice. Dark rums get color and flavor from aging in charred oak barrels. Light or white rums are filtered after aging to remove color. So light rum is one of the purest rum varieties in terms of lacking additives.
Tequila
Unaged silver tequila is probably the purest form of tequila. Made from distilled blue agave juice, it has pronounced agave flavor but minimal additional flavors or coloring. Reposado and other aged tequilas pick up additional taste components from aging in oak barrels. But quality tequila of any age contains no added sugars or flavorings besides the base agave distillate.
Brandy
Brandy starts with pure distilled wine. High-end varieties like Cognac and Armagnac are then aged in oak barrels. This adds complex flavors and a golden hue to the spirit. But no adulterants are added. So while not as pure tasting as vodka, brandy contains just ethanol, water, and natural congeners from aging.
Whiskey
Like brandy, whiskies get color and flavor complexity from oak barrel aging. Corn, wheat, rye or other grain distillates age in charred barrels for years. This process adds congeners and subtracts purity in comparison to vodka. However, high-end whiskies have no added colors, sweeteners or other adulterations. Just the natural results of wood aging.
Measuring Alcohol Purity
A few key metrics can gauge the purity of different alcoholic beverages:
Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
ABV measures the percentage of ethanol content in a beverage. The higher the ABV, the purer the alcohol if no adulterants are present. Spirits generally range from 35-50% ABV or more.
Methanol Content
Methanol is toxic in high amounts and is considered an impurity. Quality distilled spirits contain very minimal methanol. Vodka often has the least detectable methanol, while brandy and whiskey measure slightly higher.
Congeners
Congeners are chemical byproducts of fermentation that impact flavor. Bourbon has high congener levels from oak barrels, while vodka has very low congeners. Lower congener levels usually indicate a more pure distillate.
Taste
The taste itself reveals purity. Clean, neutral ethanol flavors with minimal burning indicate an alcohol’s purity. Vodka and gin should taste like pure alcohol with little else. Brandy and whiskey will taste oak-influenced.
Conclusion
When it comes to drinking alcohol, vodka, gin, silver tequila, light rum, and high-end brandy and whiskey are generally the purest options. While no alcohol except pure ethanol is 100% pure, these spirits come the closest. Distilling and filtering removes impurities, resulting in clean ethanol taste. Minimum additives are included beyond the base distillates. So if you want purity in your glass, try one of these iconic liquors.