Everclear
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2024) |
 A bottle of 190-proof Everclear | |
| Type | Rectified spirit |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Luxco |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1922[1] |
| Alcohol by volume | 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% |
| Proof (US) | 120, 151, 189 and 190 |
| Color | Colorless |
| Website | diywitheverclear |
Everclear is a line of rectified spirits (also known as grain alcohol and neutral spirit) produced by the American company Luxco. It is made from grain[2] and is bottled at 60%, 75.5%, 94.5% and 95% alcohol by volume (120, 151, 189, and 190 U.S. proof respectively). It has been produced since the 1920s and was trademarked in 1950.[3] Since it is well known to have one of the highest alcohol contents of any beverage, the product has become iconic, with a "notorious reputation" in popular culture.[4][5] Sale of the 190-proof variant is prohibited in some states, which led Luxco to start selling the 189-proof version.[6][7]
Consumption
[edit]According to the manufacturer, Everclear "should be viewed as an unfinished ingredient", not consumed directly in undiluted form, and the company acknowledges that the product "has a rather notorious reputation" due to its high alcohol content. Rather than consuming Everclear directly, the company says it should be diluted by mixing it with water or other ingredients until the alcohol strength of the drink is "no more dangerous than other spirits or liqueurs on the shelf". For example, ordinary vodka, gin, rum and tequila have an alcohol concentration typically around 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof), and liqueurs are typically around 20% alcohol (40 proof).[5]
Everclear is also used as a household "food-grade" cleaner, disinfectant, or stove fuel alcohol because its fumes and odor are less offensive than isopropyl, rubbing, and denatured alcohol which are toxic to breathe or drink. Everclear is also used for extracting flavor from other ingredients to make infusions and tinctures because of its neutral flavor profile.
Similar brands
[edit]Luxco also manufactures two other brands, Golden Grain alcohol and Crystal Clear alcohol, as essentially the same spirit with a different brand name.[8] Several other brands of grain neutral spirits are also available on the market from other companies.
Alcohol content
[edit]Ethanol cannot be concentrated by ordinary distillation to greater than 97.2% by volume (95.6% by weight), because at that concentration, the vapor has the same ratio of water to alcohol as the liquid, a phenomenon known as azeotropy.[9] The 190-proof variant of Everclear is 92.4% ethanol by weight and is thus produced at approximately the practical limit of distillation purity.[10]
Safety and health concerns
[edit]Everclear's extremely high alcohol content poses several significant health and safety risks. The 190-proof variant contains 95% alcohol by volume, making it significantly more potent than standard liquors, which typically contain around 40% alcohol. Some U.S. states impose limits on maximum alcohol content, or have other restrictions that prohibit the sale of the 190-proof variant of Everclear, and several of those also effectively prohibit lower-proof Everclear.[6][7]
Flame jetting incidents
[edit]Everclear's high alcohol content creates significant fire hazards, particularly the phenomenon known as "flame jetting," where alcohol vapors ignite, travel into the container, and propel flames outward like a flamethrower.[11] Several serious incidents involving Everclear and flame jetting have been documented:
In January 2016, University of Toledo runner Janelle Noe suffered severe burns at a house party when a former teammate poured Everclear onto a lit candle near her. Doctors reported that more than 50 percent of her body was covered in second, third, and "third degree deep burns." Noe later stated, "They said that if I would've burned seconds longer, I would've died, because the skin's so thin there and you have all your vital organs right in this area."[12]
In August 2024, at Twisted Trick bar in Dallas, Texas, two individuals suffered second and third-degree burns when a "Flaming Pineapple" cocktail made with Everclear exploded. One victim was hospitalized for seven weeks at Parkland Health's burn unit and required multiple skin grafts.[13]
In November 2024, in Lakeville, Massachusetts, two people were injured when Everclear was poured into a dish being used for cooking, causing a fireball. One victim required aggressive wound treatment, including skin grafts.[14]
In December 2024, in Binghamton, New York, three people were injured when a bartender added Everclear to a flaming shot. One victim suffered second and third-degree burns to her face, neck, hands, abdomen, and chest.[15]
In May 2025, in Worcester, Massachusetts, a student suffered severe burns when Everclear was poured near an open fire, causing an explosive fireball that engulfed her body.[16]
In popular culture
[edit]- American rock band Everclear is named after the spirit. "Pure White Evil", a nickname for the drink coined by the band's singer/guitarist Art Alexakis, was the original working title for their album So Much for the Afterglow.[citation needed]
- Texan rapper Bushwick Bill has a song titled “Ever So Clear” in which he describes the consequences of his abuse of the beverage.[17]
See also
[edit]- Ethanol (ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol)
- Liquor
- Denatured alcohol
References
[edit]- ^ "How Everclear Became the King of Grain Alcohol". 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Everclear". Luxco official website. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ Donn Lux (12 November 2010). "President's Message". Luxco. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
- ^ Carman, Tim (September 26, 2018). "Everclear wants you to start thinking of it as a craft cocktail ingredient. Good luck with that". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2020 – via PressReader.com.
- ^ a b "FAQ page". Everclear official website. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ a b "Report to Congress on the prevention and reduction of underage drinking - Policy summary: High-proof grain alcoholic beverages" (PDF). United States Department of Health and Human Services - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
- ^ a b Danae King (30 June 2014). "Laws including high-proof grain alcohol ban take effect Tuesday". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Neutral Spirits". Luxco official website. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
- ^ 95.6% according to 49th edition of CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Perry's Handbook gives 10.57 mole percent water, which is 95.58 weight percent.
- ^ Inge Russell, ed. (2003). Whisky: Technology, Production and Marketing. Graham Stewart. Academic Press. p. 180. ISBN 9780080474854.
- ^ https://www.pbs.org/video/small-bottle-huge-fireball-how-flame-jetting-works-wqsipl/
- ^ https://deadspin.com/college-runner-who-almost-burned-to-death-reaches-ncaa-1826680969/
- ^ https://www.wdbj7.com/2024/11/15/graphic-couple-says-they-were-burned-by-fiery-drink-that-exploded-bar/
- ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/cooking-fire-sends-lakeville-man-young-girl-to-hospital-with-burns/
- ^ https://www.syracuse.com/state/2024/12/woman-20-burned-by-flaming-drink-at-upstate-ny-bar-hospitalized-in-syracuse.html
- ^ https://eu.telegram.com/story/news/2025/07/09/wpi-frat-house-incident-young-woman-burned/84510277007/
- ^ Wyman, Bill (1992-09-24). "An Eye for a Truth: Bushwick Bill in extremis/Turn Down That Damn Music!". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2025-06-12.