Process for producing at least one alkali metal alkoxide of formula M A OR, wherein R is methyl, and wherein M A is a metal selected from sodium, potassium, wherein: (α1) a reactant stream S AE1 comprising ROH is reacted with a reactant stream S AE2 comprising M A OH in countercurrent in a reactive rectification column RR A to afford a crude product RP A comprising M A OR, water, ROH, M A OH, wherein a bottoms product stream S AP comprising ROH and M A OR is withdrawn at the lower end of RR A and a vapour stream S AB comprising water and ROH is withdrawn at the upper end of RR A, (α2) and optionally, simultaneously with and spatially separate from step (α1), a reactant stream S BE1 comprising ROH is reacted with a reactant stream S BE2 comprising M B OH in countercurrent in a reactive rectification column RR B to afford a crude product RP B comprising M B OR, water, ROH, M B OH, wherein M B is a metal selected from sodium, potassium, wherein a bottoms product stream S BP comprising ROH and M B OR is withdrawn at the lower end of RR B and a vapour stream S BB comprising water and ROH is withdrawn at the upper end of RR B, (β) at least a portion of the vapour stream S AB, and if step (α2) is performed at least a portion of the vapour stream S BB, in admixture with S AB or separate from S AB, is employed as mixture G in step (a) of a process for workup of a mixture G comprising water and alcohol ROH, wherein in the process for workup of a mixture G (a) the mixture G is passed into a rectification column RD A and in RD A separated into at least one vapour stream S OA comprising ROH which is withdrawn at the upper end of RD A and at least one stream S UA comprising water which is withdrawn at the lower end of RD A, (b) at least one side stream S ZA is withdrawn from RD A and recycled to RD A, (c) at least a portion of S OA is compressed to afford a vapour stream S OA1 compressed relative to S OA, (d) energy is transferred from a first portion S OA11 of the compressed vapour stream S OA1 to S ZA before S ZA is recycled to RD A, (e) a portion S OA12 of the compressed vapour stream S OA1 that is distinct from S OA11 is subjected to further compression to afford a vapour stream S OA2 that is compressed relative to S OA11, (f) energy is transferred from at least a portion of S OA2 to at least a portion S UA1 of S UA before S UA1 is recycled to RD A. (α1) a reactant stream S AE1 comprising ROH is reacted with a reactant stream S AE2 comprising M A OH in countercurrent in a reactive rectification column RR A to afford a crude product RP A comprising M A OR, water, ROH, M A OH, wherein a bottoms product stream S AP comprising ROH and M A OR is withdrawn at the lower end of RR A and a vapour stream S AB comprising water and ROH is withdrawn at the upper end of RR A, (α2) and optionally, simultaneously with and spatially separate from step (α1), a reactant stream S BE1 comprising ROH is reacted with a reactant stream S BE2 comprising M B OH in countercurrent in a reactive rectification column RR B to afford a crude product RP B comprising M B OR, water, ROH, M B OH, wherein M B is a metal selected from sodium, potassium, wherein a bottoms product stream S BP comprising ROH and M B OR is withdrawn at the lower end of RR B and a vapour stream S BB comprising water and ROH is withdrawn at the upper end of RR B, (β) at least a portion of the vapour stream S AB, and if step (α2) is performed at least a portion of the vapour stream S BB, in admixture with S AB or separate from S AB, is employed as mixture G in step (a) of a process for workup of a mixture G comprising water and alcohol ROH, wherein in the process for workup of a mixture G (a) the mixture G is passed into a rectification column RD A and in RD A separated into at least one vapour stream S OA comprising ROH which is withdrawn at the upper end of RD A and at least one stream S UA comprising water which is withdrawn at the lower end of RD A, (b) at least one side stream S ZA is withdrawn from RD A and recycled to RD A, (c) at least a portion of S OA is compressed to afford a vapour stream S OA1 compressed relative to S OA, (d) energy is transferred from a first portion S OA11 of the compressed vapour stream S OA1 to S ZA before S ZA is recycled to RD A, (e) a portion S OA12 of the compressed vapour stream S OA1 that is distinct from S OA11 is subjected to further compression to afford a vapour stream S OA2 that is compressed relative to S OA11, (f) energy is transferred from at least a portion of S OA2 to at least a portion S UA1 of S UA before S UA1 is recycled to RD A. (a) the mixture G is passed into a rectification column RD A and in RD A separated into at least one vapour stream S OA comprising ROH which is withdrawn at the upper end of RD A and at least one stream S UA comprising water which is withdrawn at the lower end of RD A, (b) at least one side stream S ZA is withdrawn from RD A and recycled to RD A, (c) at least a portion of S OA is compressed to afford a vapour stream S OA1 compressed relative to S OA, (d) energy is transferred from a first portion S OA11 of the compressed vapour stream S OA1 to S ZA before S ZA is recycled to RD A, (e) a portion S OA12 of the compressed vapour stream S OA1 that is distinct from S OA11 is subjected to further compression to afford a vapour stream S OA2 that is compressed relative to S OA11, (f) energy is transferred from at least a portion of S OA2 to at least a portion S UA1 of S UA before S UA1 is recycled to RD A.