Neutral Spirit (GNS)
Neutral spirit, also called grain neutral spirit (GNS), is spirit distilled at or above 190 proof (95% alcohol by volume), so that it is essentially without taste, aroma, or character from the material it was made from. It is the base for vodka, gin, and many blended and flavored spirits.
Because it is distilled to such a high proof, neutral spirit carries almost none of the congeners that give whiskey its flavor. The 190-proof threshold is the federal dividing line in the standards of identity: vodka is neutral spirit treated to be without distinctive character, and gin is neutral spirit redistilled or compounded with juniper. Many producers buy GNS in bulk rather than distill it, and it is tracked in proof gallons like any other spirit.
What proof is neutral spirit?
By definition neutral spirit is distilled at or above 190 proof (95% alcohol by volume). The standards of identity for neutral spirits and vodka are set in 27 CFR 5.143 (eCFR Title 27). Distilling above 190 proof is what strips out the flavor compounds and separates neutral spirit from whiskey, which is distilled to no more than 160 proof.
How is neutral spirit different from vodka?
Vodka is a specific product made from neutral spirit: it is neutral spirit further treated (by filtration or other processing) to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color. Neutral spirit is the broader base ingredient, which can instead be redistilled with botanicals into gin, blended into whiskey where the class allows, or used to make liqueurs.
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