Does Everclear contain formaldehyde?!
Does Everclear contain formaldehyde?
We recently made a trip to West Virginia and we had to stop at a gas station. Sitting on the shelf was several bottles of Everclear. Since one cannot buy Everclear at a Virginia ABC Store, I bought a bottle of it.
A few days later, I talked to a friend of mine and bragged that I had a bottle of Everclear. He told me that the ABC stores won't sell it because it has more formaldehyde than embalming fluid. Frankly, I think he's full o' ****. The story I heard was that college kids got stupid and killed themselves in myriad ways involving drinking the stuff.
Either way, I tried searching the internet for anything stating whether or not Everclear has formaldehyde in it, but to no avail. Perhaps, you, dear Yahoo Answers patron, might be able to shed some light on this subject?
Answers:
Zero formaldehyde in Everclear...you're buddy's full of it. You have to realize that it's 95% (190 proof) alcohol. Vodka is 40%...that's two shots in one glass effectively. Since it's pure neutral spirit, there's no taste, only burn. College kids (notoriously stupid despite "higher education") are always on the lookout for the biggest "bang for the buck" and not to keen on safety. It's way too easy to drink oneself to death chugging Everclear...hence the warnings on the label.
Remember also, ABC stores are state run...in other words, insanely bureaucratic. If there's any hazard, liability, controversy, or misconception, they'll stop carrying something for the sake of consumer protection...legitimate or otherwise.
Besides, if it really did contain formaldehyde, do you think it would be on store shelves this many decades after its ban in food products? Reality check.