Question
Question: What type of alcohol is liquor?...
What type of alcohol is liquor?
Solution
Liquor or spirit is an alcoholic drink that is produced by the distillation of fruits, grains or vegetables that have undergone alcoholic fermentation.
We all know that in chemistry, an alcohol is an organic molecule that contains an alcohol functional group ( −OH )
Complete answer:
Liquor contains ethanol as its main constituent. Therefore liquor is also called ethyl alcohol. You may recall that ethanol is produced by yeast and other microorganisms when they respire anaerobically. This process is called fermentation.
When fermentation occurs in fruits like grapes or grains like barley they produce ethanol and this is the major step in the preparation of liquor.
Examples of liquor include Brandy, Vodka, Gin, Rum and Whisky.
Liquors generally have an alcohol concentration higher than 30%. Alcohol distillation is the process that separates the more volatile component, alcohol from the less volatile component like water and other impurities. This will give a more concentrated alcohol content necessary for the liquor.
Ethanol is a clear colourless liquid and is also a psychoactive drug. Psychoactive drug is a chemical that changes nervous system function and results in alternation of mood and behaviour. Alcohol is a Central Nervous System depressant (CNS Depressant), meaning that it will slow down the brain functioning and neural activity.
Note:
Methanol is a compound which is found in illegal-home distilled alcohols. Unlike ethanol, methanol is highly dangerous to the body. It can cause poor coordination, decreased vision, and abdominal pain when ingested in the body. These effects are due to the formation of formaldehyde and formic acid as the body metabolizes methanol.