What keeps us from having petroleum derived liquors?

[NeoPTLD]

Many liquors, particularly gin and vodka are distilled to near azeotrope of water/alcohol,then watered down. Fermentation introduces higher order alcohols, such as propanol, butanol and pentanol that produces nasty flavors and these form azeotrope with ethanol, so they can't be removed perfectly. Where the alcohol was distilled from affects the amount of these impurities.

Alcohol is synthesized from petroleum by creating creating ethylene, then hydrating to form ethanol.

Both synthetic and fermented alcohol meant to be used for non drinking purposes are purposely denatured to avoid liquor tax.

Isn't it theoretically possible to create better tasting vodka that doesn't have fusel alcohols by hydrating of high purity ethylene?

 

[Paperdoc]

I don't know what types or quantities of minor impurities are produce in the ethylene hydration reaction you suggest. But I strongly suspect you'd have to pay a premium price. Right now there's an enormous effort world-wide to find feedstocks (other than food corn) and processes to make huge volumes of ethanol as fuel because the supply of petroleum is disappearing.

 

[CycloWizard]

The reason is actually pretty simple: it's illegal to produce alcohol for human consumption by synthetic means. Fermentation is the only allowable method because of the possibility of side products in synthetics (particularly methanol). At least, that's the nominal reason given for such laws. There are certainly synthetic approaches that would yield pure ethanol, but too many good ol' boys make a lot of money off their stuff to allow the government to change the way it does business now.

 

[Nathelion]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
The reason is actually pretty simple: it's illegal to produce alcohol for human consumption by synthetic means. Fermentation is the only allowable method because of the possibility of side products in synthetics (particularly methanol). At least, that's the nominal reason given for such laws. There are certainly synthetic approaches that would yield pure ethanol, but too many good ol' boys make a lot of money off their stuff to allow the government to change the way it does business now.

Word

 

[soccerballtux]

My coff drops have methanol in them i eat those like candy no prollems here!!!!!

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
My coff drops have methanol in them i eat those like candy no prollems here!!!!!

Menthol or methanol?

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
My coff drops have methanol in them i eat those like candy no prollems here!!!!!

Menthol or methanol?

:facepalm;

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire

Originally posted by: Gibsons

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
My coff drops have methanol in them i eat those like candy no prollems here!!!!!

Menthol or methanol?

:facepalm;

clearly, in this case, methanol

 

[BrownTown]

Originally posted by: soccerballtux
My coff drops have methanol in them i eat those like candy no prollems here!!!!!

WOW...

 

[PottedMeat]

...at your local liquor store

Absolut Citron
Grey Goose
Exxon-Mobil Sippin' Vodka
Chevron Driller's Reserve Texas Tea

 

[gsellis]

Regarding the original - "What keeps us from having petroleum derived liquors?"

Considering the aromatic components of petroleum and how such effect yeast generated alcohols from "grown" materials, it would boil down to 5 letters, 1 word.

Taste.

 

[QuantumPion]

There is actually a law that states that liquor must have a minimum amount of radioactivity. This ensures that the alcohol came from biological materials which contain carbon-14, as opposed to coal or petroleum products which don't.

 

[NeoPTLD]

Originally posted by: gsellis
Regarding the original - "What keeps us from having petroleum derived liquors?"

Considering the aromatic components of petroleum and how such effect yeast generated alcohols from "grown" materials, it would boil down to 5 letters, 1 word.

Taste.

to those who mentioned alcohol, commercially produced
Pure ethylene should be relatively free of "aromatics" and other order alcohols.

Brandy is permitted to contain methanol content of two grams per liter. Methanol is a product of natural fermentation, especially when fruits are involved.

For brandy, the aromatics that go along with alcohol makes a good part of taste, so there's no question about no synthetic substitute in my opinion.

As far as vodka and rectified spirit and their derivative products, fusel oils, or high order alcohols such as various isomers of propanol and butanol are being blamed for bad taste.

Aside from regulatory matter, I think that hydrogenation of high purity ethylene gas (produced in refinery) should yield ethanol that is much lower in methanol and nasty tasting fusel alcohols (which forms azeotrope with ethanol making it difficult to separate)

Currently, all ethanol added to automotive fuel is of corn origin in the US due to government mandates.

Products such as SD alcohol used in listerine is synthesized from petroluem, according to the P&G group.

Notwithstanding regulartory burden, I think that petrochemically derived ethanol has potential for creating fine neutral spirit free of fusel oils.

Although, "natural flavor" may seem more appealing, it isn't necessary true all of the time that natural flavors taste better than "synthetic flavor".

As the retail price gets higher, liquor is just as much about the container and psychological perception if not more than the contents. You'll see $200 bottle of liquor almost always come in an elaborate designer bottle, not a 500ml or 750ml basic reagent bottle.