neutral and flavored grain spirits

Strictly speaking, “neutral spirits” is highly pure ethyl alcohol that exhibits little to no traits from the fermented material it was originally distilled from. Neutral spirits is also a generic category that encompasses two diverse kinds of spirits. The first kind are spirits built upon alcohol that has been purified to such a degree through re-distillation and/or filtration that the flavor of the original fermented materials and the byproducts of distillation are drastically reduced or eliminated. The epitome of neutral spirits is contemporary vodka distilled to 96.5% pure alcohol in a continuous still and—if necessary—further filtered through charcoal or what have you, but this category is also home to many strongly flavored spirits built on a neutral spirits base. The second kind are spirits where raw materials are diverse (typically grain, but not always) and produce many variations and styles within the same traditions and under the same umbrella names. Prominent examples include arak, soju and shochu. Aging in wood rarely plays a significant role with neutral spirits.