Might as well plug this recent Criminal Podcast episode: https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-358-the-formula-3-27-2026

TLDL: During prohibition, US government required adding 5% methanol to industrial alcohol, hoping that this would stop bootleggers from selling it as liquor. It was sold anyway, resulting in many deaths.

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aqme28 4 hours ago | parent [-]

To be fair, we still add 5-10% methanol to industrial alcohol. But also a bunch of bitterants to discourage use.

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mordae 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Are adding it or just distill both because it's cheaper?

	▲	SoftTalker 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Yeast microbes make ethanol, not (much) methanol.
	▲	tastyfreeze 4 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Adding. That majority of things we ferment and distill will not produce anywhere close to 5-10% methanol.
	▲	cucumber3732842 4 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		To make it poisonous enough that the tax men leave you alone. So cheaper in a circuitous way.