Most common is the Friedel-Crafts reaction between benzene and ethylene oxide in the presence of aluminium trichloride.

The reaction affords the aluminium alkoxide that is subsequently hydrolyzed to the desired product.

[3] Phenethyl alcohol can also be prepared by the reaction between phenylmagnesium bromide and ethylene oxide: Phenethyl alcohol can also be produced by biotransformation from L-phenylalanine using immobilized yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

[4] It is also possible to produce phenethyl alcohol by the reduction of phenylacetic acid using sodium borohydride and iodine in THF.

[5] Phenethyl alcohol is found in extract of rose, carnation, hyacinth, Aleppo pine, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, geranium, neroli, and champaca.