Rick, Everclear is the brand name of a 190-proof (95% alcohol by
volume) liquor that has some great uses besides the obvious.

When I lived in Colorado, I put a tablespoon or so in the carburator
on really cold mornings and it fired up the car better than spray
starters (usually ether).

It tenderizes tough meat very quickly, especially if injected with a
syringe (don't overdo it).

It is a better fortifier for wine (as in turning a 10% wine into an
18-20% port) than 80-proof brandy because you use less and dilute the
wine less.

It can be used to make other extracts besides oak essence, such as
vanilla, orange, almond, tonka bean, coconut, etc.

Ray, to answer your question I never dilute it. If I wanted to do
that I'd just use vodka or gin.

Jack Keller, The WInemaking Home Page
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/