Distilled white vinegar — plain white vinegar — is the clear, colourless, aggressively sour workhorse of the vinegar family. It is made by fermenting a cheap, neutral distilled alcohol into acetic acid, so it carries none of the fruit, malt or wine character of other vinegars: just clean, uncomplicated sourness at a reliably high strength. That neutrality and low cost make it the default acid for brines, quick pickles, canning and tangy sauces — and, at extra strength, a household cleaner.