text: Alkoxides can be produced by several routes starting from an alcohol.  Highly reducing metals react directly with alcohols to give the corresponding metal alkoxide.  The alcohol serves as an acid, and hydrogen is produced as a by-product.  A classic case is sodium methoxide produced by the addition of sodium metal to methanol:
  Other alkali metals can be used in place of sodium, and most alcohols can be used in place of methanol. Generally, the alcohol is used in excess and left to be used as a solvent in the reaction. Thus, an alcoholic solution of the alkali alkoxide is used. Another similar reaction occurs when an alcohol is reacted with a metal hydride such as NaH. The metal hydride removes the hydrogen atom from the hydroxyl group and forms a negatively charged alkoxide ion.