# Why does vanilla extract contain alcohol?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vanilla-extract-contain-alcohol/200080>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 7, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vanilla-extract-contain-alcohol/200080 "2003-09-07T11:19:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Vlad\_M.Paler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d26b3c/32.png) [@Vlad\_M.Paler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_M.Paler)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vanilla-extract-contain-alcohol/200080/1 "2003-09-07T11:19:18Z")

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Is this to preserve the flavor of the vanilla? Or is alcohol a by product of the “extracting” process?

/trying to get drunk off vanilla extract

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vanilla-extract-contain-alcohol/200080/2 "2003-09-07T11:56:05Z")

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I beleive they soak the vanilla beans in bourban to extract the flavor out of them.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vanilla-extract-contain-alcohol/200080/3 "2003-09-07T13:10:58Z")

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The chemical which gives vanilla its flavor, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzaldehyde, also called vanillin, is only very slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in alcohol. The vanilla extract that you buy at the store contains alcohol in order to keep the vanillin from precipitating out on the bottom of the bottle.

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**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-vanilla-extract-contain-alcohol/200080/4 "2003-09-07T16:21:40Z")

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[All you vanilla questions answered](http://www.joyofbaking.com/Vanilla.html)