How aq KOH and alcKOH differ

HI Student,
The simplest answer to your question is this...aqueous KOH is generally used for reactions that are not water sensitive and when performing a hydrolysis. Saponification of amides and esters are two examples when aqueous KOH is preferred (since these are hydrolysis reactions). Alternatively, KOH is used in 'anhydrous' form such as in ethanolic KOH (KOH dissolved in ethanol) when reactions are water sensitive or when performing a dehydration reaction. This is because the water added to a dehydration reaction will shift the equilibrium of that reaction towards the left (i.e., the starting materials).