TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method (p1) involves use of a catalyst in the reactive distillation column; and further involves removing non-condensable gases from the crude product stream prior to reacting with acetic acid, and removing water from the crude product stream using an adsorption unit or a membrane. The conversion of acetic acid in the reactive distillation column is greater than 15, preferably greater than 40%. The total conversion of acetic acid in the first reactor and the reactive distillation column is greater than 90%. Alternatively the method involves: the step of hydrogenating; reacting acetic acid and ethanol in a first column; withdrawing a first overhead stream comprising aldehyde and ethyl acetate, and a first bottom stream comprising ethyl acetate, ethanol and water; separating the first bottom stream in a second column to yield a second overhead stream comprising ethanol and ethyl acetate and a second bottom stream comprising water; and separating the second overhead stream in a third column to yield a third overhead stream comprising ethyl acetate and a third bottom stream comprising ethanol. The method (p2) further involves separating the ester enriched stream into an overhead stream comprising ethyl acetate and a bottom stream comprising ethanol and water; and dehydrating the bottom stream to recover ethanol and a purified water stream, where the water stream comprises acetic acid (less than 0.5, preferably less than 0.1, especially 0.05 wt.%). Preferred Components: The reactor comprises a different catalyst than the reactive distillation column. The reactive distillation column comprises an acid catalyst. The liquid stream comprises less than 40 wt.% acetic acid. The ester enriched stream comprises acetic acid (less than 10 wt.%). The acetic acid is formed from methanol and carbon monoxide, where each of the methanol, the carbon monoxide and hydrogen for the hydrogenating step is derived from syngas, and the syngas is derived from a carbon source selected from natural gas, oil, petroleum, coal and/or biomass.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The first reactor comprises a hydrogenation catalyst selected from platinum/tin, platinum/ruthenium, platinum/rhenium, palladium/ruthenium, palladium/rhenium, cobalt/palladium, cobalt/platinum, cobalt/chromium, cobalt/ruthenium, cobalt/tin, silver/palladium, copper/palladium, copper/zinc, nickel/palladium, gold/palladium, ruthenium/rhenium, and ruthenium/iron. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.