Evidence has been obtained that the ring protons of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIC) can act as proton donors towards electrochemically generated bases in the aluminum chloride : EMIC molten salt. Reduction of benzophenone in the deuterated (2 position of EMIC) basic melt yields benzhydrol deuterated at the carbinol carbon, showing that the intermediate carbanion is basic enough to be protonated by the EMI cation. Anthracene undergoes a two-electron reduction in the basic melt, giving dideuterioanthracene. Considering that both benzophenone and anthracene can be reversibly reduced in one-electron processes in acetonitrile, these results indicate that the AlCl3 : EMIC melt environment is considerably more acidic than are conventional solvents such as acetonitrile.