If you’re looking to purchase high-proof alcohol to make a cannabis tincture, this is the guide for you! Discover where you can order high-proof grain alcohol online and have it shipped to your door, or learn more about what to ask for when visiting your local liquor store.

Table of Contents

Quick Answer

If you’re having trouble finding high-proof alcohol available for purchase in your state, try one of these online services to see if they will ship to your home:

Why You Will Love This Guide

I have gotten several inquiries from Well With Cannabis Community members about where to buy high-proof alcohol to make a cannabis tincture.

Unfortunately, high-proof alcohol can be hard to get because it is illegal to purchase in many states.

Fortunately, there are some alternative options for getting alcohol, many of which can be ordered directly online.

If you’re shopping at your local liquor store, I will show you different examples and brand names so you know exactly what to ask for when you go in.

I have also included information on the different types of alcohol available, as some are potentially toxic if used to make a tincture.

Before getting started, we will review some essential safety considerations below to ensure you are purchasing the right type of alcohol.

Safety First

There are three types of alcohol:

  1. Isopropyl alcohol
  2. Methyl alcohol
  3. Ethyl alcohol

Of these three, the only one safe for human consumption is ethyl alcohol.

Isopropyl and methyl, or denatured alcohol, are NOT safe for human consumption.

DO NOT USE:

  • Isopropyl Alcohol – also known as rubbing alcohol. This alcohol is toxic when consumed. Symptoms of ingestion include difficulty breathing, blurred vision or blindness, low blood pressure, fatigue, and damage to the nervous system, stomach, and intestines1.
  • Denatured Alcohol – Denatured alcohol, or methylated spirits, is ethanol or grain alcohol that contains additional chemicals called denaturants that make it unfit for human consumption. Consuming this can result in blindness or death2.

So now that you know what NOT to buy, let’s focus on what you can buy: ethyl alcohol.

Buy Grain Alcohol

Grain alcohol is a purified form of ethanol or ethyl alcohol.

Grain alcohol has no added flavor, so it’s often called a “neutral spirit.”

Like other neutral spirits, an alcohol derived from grain is clear, odorless, and almost flavorless, making it perfect for making cannabis tinctures.

High-proof grain alcohol has an ABV of 75.5% to 99% or 151 to 190+ proof.

The very high percentage of alcohol makes grain alcohol a perfect solvent for making a tincture.

Helpful Tip: Remember that ABV means ‘alcohol by volume,’ and that number comes in a percent. Alcohol proof is a measure of the content of ethanol in an alcoholic beverage. You can divide the alcohol-proof number by 2 to find the % ABV.

When Making Tinctures

I have a few different types of cannabis tinctures here on the blog that you can make with CBD flower, CBG flower, or THC flower:

  1. Green Dragon – traditional long soak method
  2. Golden Dragon – QWET freezer method
  3. Learn more about the difference between the two here
  4. CBDA tincture
  5. THCA tincture

For both methods, I recommend using the highest-proof grain alcohol whenever possible.

While a 151 proof will work, it is not as powerful of a solvent as the higher options, and 190 proof or higher is ideal.

Whether you are shopping online or in your local store, this is what to look for in high-proof alcohol:

  • 75.5-99% ABV
  • 151-200 proof
  • The words “grain alcohol”
  • The words “food grade”
A picture of culinary solvent alcohol with herbs.

Order Online

If you don’t want to visit your local liquor store, I recommend checking out the many options available from Culinary Solvent.

This brand is dedicated to providing you with quality solvents to extract flavor and aroma compounds from plants like cannabis.

Their products are designed to help cannabis Chefs like you unlock the full potential of your ingredients, enabling you to create amazing tinctures at home.

All Culinary Solvent products are thoroughly tested and certified safe for use in food, providing peace of mind while exploring your culinary creativity.

A picture of a bottle of Culinary Solvent high proof alcohol.
Culinarysolvent.com

Coupon Code

Culinary Solvent loves helping readers like you make cannabis tinctures, so as an added bonus, they offer a discount code to all my readers. Simply use the coupon code EmilyKyle to save 10% off your order!

Shop in Store

Depending on the state you live in, you may be able to purchase high-proof alcohol in your local liquor store.

You will often hear the brand name Everclear used, but this is not the only option available; it is just a popular brand name.

Below is a list of other popular brand names for high-proof grain alcohols that may be found at your local liquor store:

  • Bacardi 151 (currently being discontinued)
  • Everclear 190
  • Polmos Spirytus 192 Proof
  • Zbigniew Spirtus Spirytus Grain Spirit 190 Proof
  • Graves Grain Alcohol 190 Proof
  • Clear Spring Grain Alcohol 190 Proof
  • Mohawk Grain Alcohol 190 Proof
  • Polish Land Rectified Spirytus 192 Proof 
  • Familia De Luxe Grain Alcohol
  • Mystic Mountain 420 Extractor

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 190-proof grain alcohol used for?

In our case, 190-proof grain alcohol is used for making alcohol tinctures or other herbal tinctures.

Can you drink 190-proof grain alcohol?

It is not pleasant or recommended to drink 190-proof grain alcohol, but it is safe for human consumption in very small amounts.

What if the alcohol burns?

The alcohol will burn when placed in your mouth. Thankfully, we have many safe ways to evaporate the alcohol.

Can I use an alcohol tincture in recipes?

Yes, you can use your tincture in many different recipes. From making homemade gummies to infusing storebought gummies, there are many options. Want something super simple? Make cannabis sugar or cannabis salt.

Do I need this to make FECO?

Yes, if your end goal is to make FECO, full-extract cannabis oil, you will need high-proof alcohol for the process.

Do I have to use alcohol?

Yes, you have to use alcohol to make an alcohol-based tincture. However, if you do not want to use alcohol, you can make something else, like a cannabis tea or oil infusion.

Tincture Recipes

Are you finally ready to make your cannabis tincture at home?

About Emily

Hi, I’m Emily Kyle and I teach people just like you how to use cannabis to find joy, enhance productivity, improve relationships, and naturally support your overall health and wellness.

Read More About Me

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22 Comments

  1. Sorry for the ramble, but this is what I’ve learned in the last two years. Clear Springs makes better tasting tincture than Everclear, as it does if you dare to drink this effluent straight. The slow Green Dragon Method is also better tasting than using heat (and heat is dangerous even though I did it using a thermocouple on a temp reading multimeter. You can check the accuracy of the thermocouple by taking your temperature with it. The thermocouple is good for calibrating your oven for the decarboxylate, make sure to get the surface of your cookie sheet, I used a weight to hold the business end of the thermocouple down to the surface. In my oven, 200 degree F setting makes for 220 on the surface of the sheet. I’ve found that use of parchment paper is not necessary, but it is convenient and seems to do no harm. The thermocouple in often included with decent multimeters, and is also useful for setting the fridge and freezer (non related use). I preheat and go for 45 minutes, then turn the oven off. and wait for it to cool. I use non clear mason jars and tincture bottles as I’ve read, direct light destroys the mix. I strain though cut down coffee filters in funnels. It’s easy. I buy an ounce of the least expensive high THC hybrids (I’m in Oregon where it’s legal and get it for bout $60 an ounce, you can also use the tailings that end up in the bottom of the jars they store the leaf in at the stores), and make indica and sativa favored strains. These can be mixed, and sometimes I get something so neutral you feel normal, but you’re high, just turn on some good art to check (it always makes me appreciate by turning off my annoying inner critic, lol). I make about 4 ounces of tincture from an ounce of leaf, an inch over the dried ground leaf in the mason jar. I put it up in a cabinet with a taped to the jar note as to the name of the strain, the date of doing, and the THC for the leaf, and I reproduce these on the tincture bottles when done. I shake the jars a few times a week and leave it for a month or two, taking small samples along the way for fun, And the author is right about everything, including the economy, I figure a good high costs 50 cents. I take it under the tongue, but my wife dilutes it and takes it as a drinkable. If I assume the process is 50% efficient, I get about 40 mg of THC per gram starting with 30% thc leaf. I take a quarter to a full pipet, but I’ve forgotten how much one holds. Tincture is cool. You can’t buy Alcohol tincture legally in Oregon as liquor stores are not licensed to sell pot. The finished tincture It’s probably around 65 proof. I feel the high lasts longer than 4 hours, but I’m taking a healthy (yeah sure!) dose. I find taking it at least 7 hours before going to sleep good, though it does tend to make me sleep longer. Bon Appetite.

  3. I’m not really a drinker but would like to make a tincture. I live in New York. Is there high proof alcohol in liquor stores or is that something I need to look for online?

  4. Hey Justin, I’m in NY, too, and I haven’t seen it in any of my local liquor stores. I ordered online from Caskers and they delivered right to the house 🙂

  5. I’m in Hawaii and none of your sites for purchase send here, so what other ways are there to get grain alcohol to me?

  6. Hi there, Janine! I’m sorry to hear none of these sites ships to Hawaii 🙁 I don’t know of any other place to look, but please do keep us updated if you find an option!

  7. I’m thinking the tincture of cannabis roots to make a ointment; using that tincture instead of water in the ointment preparation. What can you say about this method?
    Thank you for your useful blog!

  8. Thank you for your kind words, Virginia 🙂 I would hesitate swapping an alcohol-based tincture for water in a recipe because the alcohol will evaporate and may mess up the final consistency. What I would do instead would be to evaporate as much alcohol as possible and add that in addition to the water called for in the ointment preparation. I hope this helps!

  9. I got difficulty in Canada (Ontario) finding these products! In the end, I found out that our liquor store, LCBO, sells it behind the curtains in some stores. If you, reader, has the same problem as I had, call LCBO or the liquor store in your city/province, and ask about the 94% grain alcohol and in which stores in your city you can find it (because just a few sell them).

    LCBO sells a spirit that contains 94% alcohol from a brand called Global, made in Quebec. But I paid 100 CAD a bottle of 1,2L! They don’t sell Everclear or other brands here. By the way, I’ve read that people in Quebec find it easily in the stores shelves without this bureaucracy, and it’s probably cheaper.

    Also, people in Ontario with US visa can always go to the NY state and buy it from there (Buffalo city for example), much cheaper, but having in mind that they’ll pay duties and taxes back at the Canadian border.

    Just letting this info out for the Canadians who end up in this post as I did before. 🙂

  10. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Vivian! I hope this helps our Canadian friends 😀