What is ethyl alcohol used for?

A shot of whiskey or brandy would not cure a cold or sore throat, but it would certainly make you feel better. It is evident that humans have been fermenting fruits and grains since antiquity. You ferment grains to get beer, apples for cider, and grapes for wine. Distil the wines and beers to get brandies, whiskies, and grappas. These commodities become extremely valuable when they are aged and stored properly.

In general, we used "IMS," or "industrial methylated spirit," in the lab. This is ethyl alcohol to which a small amount of methanol and other denaturants have been added, hence the name "methylated spirit"; however, this makes it unfit for consumption (drug abusers occasionally consume metho, with very disturbing results that I'm sure you have seen).

PS: Years ago, I organized a chemistry party where the celebration was held with reagent grade absolute ethanol. I recall using UV/vis to determine the (negligible) concentrations of benzene, methanol, and toluene, and then mixing it with water and lemon cordial in a 2:1 ratio. The next morning, there were a lot of sore heads and sour moods, but at least there was no blindness.

PPS Chemistry students used to be taught about brewing technology. If you have enough carboys, bottles, and containers, making beer at home is fairly simple. If you use a kit, the beer is usually very good after a month or so of bottle age. Making beer is also educational because you have to ferment sugar to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol.

A small amount of sugar is added to the bottle of FLAT beer before it is sealed. The sugar ferments with the leftover yeast, adding carbon dioxide to the beer.

Ethyl alcohol is commonly used as a solvent, antiseptic, disinfectant, and in the production of alcoholic beverages. It also serves as a fuel, a component in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and is utilized in the manufacturing of certain chemicals and extracts.