# Why no 200 proof booze? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916 "2004-09-30T20:24:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/21 "2004-10-01T03:42:04Z")
As **yabob** said, pure alcohol will aggressively obtain water vapor from the air. I was told, and it may be true, that a full glass of 200 proof grain alcohol will overflow until it reaches 190 proof. Does anybody here know if that’s strictly true? ---
**Author:** ![SnakeSpirit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snakespirit/32/7271_2.png) [@SnakeSpirit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakeSpirit)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/22 "2004-10-01T03:48:46Z")
> [@SnakeSpirit](#): > > I recall in my younger, stupid, drinking days we used to drink a bottled concoction named, “Wilson’s: That’s All.” > > I haven’t googled it yet to see what history says, but as I recall it was _advertised_ as 200 proof. > > FWIW (hic!) _N a S t Y_ stuff, whoo! Google says it destroyed too many brain cells, and peaked out at 80 proof. So much for drinking memory! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/23 "2004-10-01T04:02:58Z")
What would 100% ethanol taste like? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/24 "2004-10-01T11:12:25Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > What would 100% ethanol taste like? From my small contact with it, not good. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/25 "2004-10-01T11:53:09Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > I remember in my Organic Chem lab there was a 5 gallon container of absolute ethanol. I remember thinking how cool it would be to have it at a party: “Here, let me fix you a real drink.” > > But then, I was an idiot when I was 21 No more than me. I studied chemistry at university, and in my final year we got hold of a 5-litre bottle of HPLC-grade (that’s high-performance liquid chromatography) ethanol. It was stated to be 99.8% minimum ethanol by volume, and free from benzene (thankfully!). It had to be pure as chromatography is used to separate and identify compounds. [This is the stuff](https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/cgi-bin/hsrun/Suite7/Suite/Suite.hjx;start=Suite.HsViewHierarchy.run?Detail=Product&ProductNumber=RIEDEL-32221&VersionSequence=1) - Sigma Aldrich, the connoisseur’s ethanol 😉 Strangely, the price on that site is only about £150, or $275. I remember being told it was much more expensive than that. We used it to make punch, and to add to lemonade etc, and we never came to any harm. We also, naturally, tried it neat. . > [@Cervaise](#): > > What would 100% ethanol taste like? The answer to your question is difficult to answer, as the neat ethanol kind of evaporates as it hits your mouth. It’s difficult to swallow it without choking. The actual taste is much as you’d expect - think of strong vodka such as Finlandia (60%) and multiply it up a bit. > [@AskNott](#): > > As yabob said, pure alcohol will aggressively obtain water vapor from the air. I was told, and it may be true, that a full glass of 200 proof grain alcohol will overflow until it reaches 190 proof. Does anybody here know if that’s strictly true? We never left the stuff out in a glass to test this out, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/26 "2004-10-01T12:01:41Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > You’re kidding, right? 🙂 Nah, I kinda understand what the _point_ is; but I can’t believe that drinking 200 proof anything would get you drunk _that_ much quicker than 190 proof, y’know? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/27 "2004-10-01T15:33:48Z")
Re: leaving the stuff out in a glass. In addition to being hygroscopic, alcohol evaporates quite rapidly. I don’t know, but I suspect you would be more likely to get a glass of alcohol whose level would drop due to evaporation, and which would actually contain a few percent water from absorbing water vapor. Also note that the volume of an alcohol/water mixture is less than the sum of the volumes of the two liquids (a well-known classroom demonstration) - the absorbed water vapor may not expand the volume all that much. The humidity of the air would be a definite factor. ---
**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/28 "2004-10-01T16:14:10Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > What would 100% ethanol taste like? Well, I can tell you what Everclear tastes like. It tastes like shit. Basically like you popped open your botle of rubbing alcohol and took a swig. (Yes I know they are different types of alcohol). In Idaho, we can’t buy it. One time a friend and I drove 30 minutes to cross the Oregon border where it can be found at any liquor store. It is great for blowing fireballs, not so great for drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/29 "2004-10-01T18:15:21Z")
> [@beltbuckle](#): > > Well, I can tell you what Everclear tastes like. It tastes like shit. You are _so_ not getting the advertising contract. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/30 "2004-10-01T18:56:38Z")
> [@beltbuckle](#): > > It tastes like shit. So… like Zima? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916/31 "2004-10-01T21:23:23Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > So… like Zima? 🙂 No. Zima tastes like flat 7-Up. Everclear tastes more like flat Dr Pepper, with a dash of WD-40. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-200-proof-booze/266916.md?page=1)