may be prepared in any solvent in which the hydroxide of an alkali metal is soluble including for example lower alkanols ketones water and mixtures thereof the hydroxide of an alkali metal includes any hydroxide including for example lithium hydroxide sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide in general the 4 cyclopropyloxomethyl 2 2 dimethylphenethyl alcohol may be treated with a hydroxide of an alkali metal at room temperature and the oxidizing agent may be added in small lots the oxidizing agent includes any oxidizing agent which is capable of carrying out the oxidation of the 4 cyclopropyloxomethyl 2 2 dimethylphenethyl alcohol including for example potassium permanganate in general after the oxidation reaction is complete the reaction mass is acidified and the precipitated product is filtered the reaction mass may be acidified with any acid including for example hydrochloric acid the product may be isolated from the solution by a technique which includes for example filtration filtration under vacuum decantation and centrifugation the product may be further or additionally dried to achieve the desired moisture values for example the product may be further or additionally dried in a tray drier dried under vacuum and or in a fluid bed drier in another aspect organic solvent may be added to reaction mixture after the oxidation reaction is complete and filtered to remove inorganic solids before the aqueous acidic work up in general after the addition of organic solvent to.