# Booze!



## warrior4

What are some of the best options out there for Post SHTF? I'm thinking in terms of medicinal use, bartering, fuel source, drinkability. Thoughts on the subject?


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## TG

Vodka


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## tango

Vodka


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## 1skrewsloose

Vodka


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## 7515

cheap vodka


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## MrsInor

Vodka


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## MrsInor

Is there going to be a test on this?


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## 1skrewsloose

Great minds think alike.


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## Smitty901

Not that I have any use for it as a drink it does have other uses. Make your own. It is not that hard modern day still can be had for a fair price and world well. 
Because we will have plenty of grain ours will be up and running. The left over dries by products make a good animal feed.


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## hayden

I bought a Mr. Beer kit about this time last year and made a couple batches. 1st one tasted like beer but was flat. 2nd batch I had my brother save some bottles and I bought a capper and some caps. Turned out real good. The kit comes with plastic bottles, don't know if that was the difference or not. It takes the better part of a month to make this beer and it's not quite a case so not worth it to me. The refill kits cost almost as much as a case of beer. It's not brewing really. You just open a can of syrup add water and the yeast packet. I did buy a couple more refills and put in my preps.


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## hawgrider

Im going against the grain......Hawg likes Whiskey. With all you guys keeping Vodka my whiskey will sell for a pretty penny if needed


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## Seneca

If it come in a plastic bottle, sells for around 10 bucks a fifth and says vodka on it, then it's GTG for barter.


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## 1skrewsloose

We used to grow way more potatoes than we would ever eat in one year. Is vodka made from potatoes? I was 7 or 8 at the time, not really aware of what was going on. But at Christmas or any gathering the spirits seemed to flow.


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## Sasquatch

What are some of the best options out there for Post SHTF? I'm thinking in terms of medicinal use, bartering, fuel source, drinkability. Thoughts on the subject?

Although I love a good beer its going to go bad long term. Actual booze is the better bet. My choice is whiskey but I have a little of the popular stuff.


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## bigwheel

Having just got out of the making your own hooch hobby...its pretty labor intensive and requires a finely tuned heat source...plust copious amounts of sugar. Beer is a big pain in the buttocks. Wine would be the way to go in an end of the world scenario. In the dry counties of W. Texas members of the Minority Co-moonity made a good living importing 1/2 pints of Pebble Ford Bourbon and Gilbeys Gin by the case. Try that. Half pints of cheap vodka should also work. Making it out of tates aint practical. If a person just got to make it themselves..Try Wineo's plain old sugar wash. 
Home Distiller ? View topic - Wineos Plain Ol Sugar Wash
or Birdwatchers Tomato Paste Neutral.
Home Distiller ? View topic - First Birdwatcher Sugar Mash


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## Arklatex

I think everclear is a good choice. Especially for medical and fuel. Drinkablity sucks but it can be watered down to stretch out the supply. Rot gut vodka, whisky and gin are great for barter.


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## sargedog

I don't drink anymore, but I would have to say A little shine might do the trick.


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## MrsInor

You can always make Auntie's Apple Pie Moonshine.


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## Mish

I'm a tequila girl!!!


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## oldgrouch

MrsInor said:


> Vodka


Vodka might be OK for breakfast, but I'll stick with bourbon for everything else.


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## James m

I hope whoever gets elected in 2016 decides to bring back prohibition.


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## hawgrider

James m said:


> I hope whoever gets elected in 2016 decides to bring back prohibition.


Umm yeah right shurley you jest!


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## James m

My name isn't Shirley!


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## hawgrider

James m said:


> My name isn't Shirley!


Yeah maybe not but my wifes is.......
so was your comment sarcasm or not?


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## James m

Yes it was as a bad joke. What's going on in here.


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## James m

OK. What kind of water would you like?


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## hawgrider

James m said:


> Yes it was as a bad joke. What's going on in here.


Glad to hear that its to early to go off on a rant! Lol


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## oddapple

Only use it as a solvent for organic chem. It destroys immunity, the stronger the more destructive.
But....there will be plenty of people who could care less and don't look to go far, so admittedly a stock of hard liquor might be good trade. The hillbillies will buy beer before groceries.


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## James m

Party time.

http://www.amazon.com/Shot-Glass-Checkers-Square-Checkerboard/dp/B009MMUB2E


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## Mish

!!!!!


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## TG

This topic is not just about getting wasted... Why not post in your existing party thread?


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## keith9365

Mish said:


> I'm a tequila girl!!!


You know, I just knew this was the case!


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## warrior4

TorontoGal said:


> This topic is not just about getting wasted... Why not post in your existing party thread?


My point exactly when starting this thread. I've got nothing wrong with a discussion of the finer points of flavor and effects of various drinks, but I was hoping to get a better handle on what spirits are best in a prepping situation.


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## Denton

Tequila, while tasty, doesn't last as long. Once opened, it turns to whisky in weeks. Air is not its friend.

Vodka can be sipped straight or flavored, keeps well and is liked by many.

Denton, on the other hand, might trade "top dollar" for Makers Mark whisky.


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## TG

Warrior, the reason I mentioned vodka is because unlike many other forms of booze, it has the least amount of added sugar, you can safely pour it over a wound, you can trade small amounts of it , just make sure to get small empty bottles with caps for easy trading. You can search for a thread "Items Heavily Traded After Soviet Union Collapse" and many nurses in this forum posted a lot of great advice on emergency wound care. Buy antiseptic and save vodka for trading/drinking


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## jro1

Scotch, cheap whiskey, some vodka wouldn't hurt by the sounds of it! and a couple logs of skoal.


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## oddapple

TorontoGal said:


> Warrior, the reason I mentioned vodka is because unlike many other forms of booze, it has the least amount of added sugar, you can safely pour it over a wound, you can trade small amounts of it , just make sure to get small empty bottles with caps for easy trading. You can search for a thread "Items Heavily Traded After Soviet Union Collapse" and many nurses in this forum posted a lot of great advice on emergency wound care. Buy antiseptic and save vodka for trading/drinking


It is also much less harsh on blood/organs than ever clear and serves most remedy purposes well. Your cough syrups and tinctures. Toddies are still only bourbon or whiskey. You can't alter the toddy


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## bgreed

I guess my question would be are you planning on making it or purchasing and building a stash? If making Vodka is the way to go (made from wheat) being able to have the charred oak barrels to age whiskey or bourbon is gonna be tough.


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## TG

Real vodka is made from potatoes. A lot of people get sick from wheat vodka.


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## oddapple

bgreed said:


> I guess my question would be are you planning on making it or purchasing and building a stash? If making Vodka is the way to go (made from wheat) being able to have the charred oak barrels to age whiskey or bourbon is gonna be tough.


Charred oak barrels are not required, just be ready to gasp.
You can, I believe, purchase a barrel from jack Daniels or one of the distilleries? We used to buy em and if you cut it for a planter, it takes a bit to de-booze (they smell good in there)
Be careful with wheat or grains - know what clean and fungus look like, there will be enough ergot poisoning without your contribution. It can burn you for life if you don't die too.
It is easy to tell bad grain or bread? People weren't always smart enough about it or desperate - but there will always be that tribe...
It is a temperature sensitive business with a limited season in the outdoors. Wine easy, beer a pain, spirits require distilling off.
There used to be a huge zip file out there "distilling" or "home distilling" with complete plans and for distilling much more than hooch. Consuming arts that are hard not to do at least once a year. Elderberry wine next here. We put a can of welch's sparkling white grape concentrate in....puts the "champagne" (sort of) in berry wines

(I hate phone speller!!!)


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## bigwheel

bgreed said:


> I guess my question would be are you planning on making it or purchasing and building a stash? If making Vodka is the way to go (made from wheat) being able to have the charred oak barrels to age whiskey or bourbon is gonna be tough.


Everything that comes out of the distillation process is clear...white dog..or moonshine as the hobbyist call it and depending on the still you use starts at about 185-190 proof. Though the commercial producers and dumb yups with onyx credit cards put the white dog in charred oak barrels to make bourbon..the smart folks put the barrels in the white dog. As the nice fellow mentioned you can buy a used barrel and cut it up and let that float around for a while...or a real good bourbon can be made from a handful of Jack Daniels smoking chips..toasted apple wood chips..toasted oak or various combos. There is no kind of grain fungus which is going to survive the distillation process. The only bad part with normal distillation is called the "fores or foreshots" which come of the still first are normally discarded. They are real easy to spot because they smell like paint thinner or acetone. Those are where the nasties reside. The worst thing that could happen if a person was dumb enough to drink those is to give a bad old hangover. Great for fuel since they are real combustible. Next comes the heads..which are slightly astringent but important in some proprietary flavors...then comes the hearts which are as pure as mothers milk..then it gets into the "tails" which smells sorta like dirty gym socks and tends to be the predominant flavor in cheap bourbon. By the time you hit those the proof has dropped down to around 80 proof and most folks quit at that point. To make vodka you add water to the shine to get to the proof you want then start drinking. Around 110 is real nice. To make Canadian whiskey put some brown food coloring in it..lol.


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## bgreed

TorontoGal said:


> Real vodka is made from potatoes. A lot of people get sick from wheat vodka.


I have heard this. However most all vodkas today are made from wheat. Since Ukraine (supposedly the originator of vodka) has been the bread basket of Europe for a very long time I would think they would use wheat


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## Dubyagee

Im testing the wheat vodka theory now. BRB


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## Seneca

I think if I were to look into laying in a supply of booze. I would have to consider my tastes first and then the trade or barter booze. I would have to first build up my supply of Makers Mark. Rotating the stock (of course), before I became invested in laying in a supply of trade vodka.


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## bigwheel

The vodka aficionados around these parts seen to have become partial to some high priced legal corn based moonshine made in Austin called Tito's Handmade Vodka. Its pretty tasty.


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## oddapple

You want to check out reflux distillation and "home distillation of alcohol" there is a guy with home made equipment and pictures
When it is on we will be doing all drinks for all purposes, mostly for trade or aid. 
With remedies, you may need the ethanol to Crack it out of the biomass and preserve it, but you can put it in hot water before you serve it and evaporate the booze off.
If I left the booze in everything 15 people and 18 dogs would be alcoholics.

"The only bad part with normal distillation is called the "fores or foreshots" which come of the still first are normally discarded. They are real easy to spot because they smell like paint thinner or acetone. Those are where the nasties reside. The worst thing that could happen if a person was dumb enough to drink those is to give a bad old hangover. Great for fuel since they are real combustible. Next comes the heads..which are slightly astringent but important in some proprietary flavors...then comes the hearts which are as pure as mothers milk..then it gets into the "tails" which smells sorta like dirty gym socks and tends to be the predominant flavor in cheap bourbon. By the time you hit those the proof has dropped down to around 80 proof and most folks quit at that point."
Best yet ~


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## Hawaii Volcano Squad

Tequila. Blue Agave, Anejo!


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## darius28z

why vodka? any particular reason?


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## RNprepper

Ok, help me understand. I may not have any friends after this, but my question is serious. Why booze at all? It just seems to me that stocking up on items that people might be way too desperate for is asking for unwanted trouble. If word gets out that you have booze, cigarettes, pot, or drugs, won't it increase the risk of attack? Addicted people will do crazy things to get their fix, and they can value that commodity even above food. The other issue about booze is about becoming intoxicated and putting oneself in even greater danger. I might see using alcohol as an antiseptic, but I have betadine and chlorhexadine for that. It just seems that alcohol would bring unwanted trouble. Please change my mind if I am wrong.


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## bgreed

darius28z said:


> why vodka? any particular reason?


Vodka because it is one of the easiest to make and does not require aging.

To RN Prepper so what happens when you run out of betadine and chlorhexadine? If you check out Russian and Ukrainian health practices you will discover that they have a myrid of uses for vodka for health. cure for a cold three finger of vodka and an eighth tsp of red pepper.


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## Arklatex

bgreed said:


> Vodka because it is one of the easiest to make and does not require aging.
> 
> To RN Prepper so what happens when you run out of betadine and chlorhexadine? If you check out Russian and Ukrainian health practices you will discover that they have a myrid of uses for vodka for health. cure for a cold three finger of vodka and an eighth tsp of red pepper.


To add to this post vodka is also used to make decoctions for herbal remedies. You can also make decoctions for cooking like vanilla extract. Very useful stuff for more than just drinking.


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## jimb1972

Seneca said:


> If it come in a plastic bottle, sells for around 10 bucks a fifth and says vodka on it, then it's GTG for barter.


I usually buy mine for about $10 for 1.75L, Phillips is one of the better cheapos.


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## Arklatex

Multiple uses for booze.

Moonshine Why Carry:


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## Hawaii Volcano Squad

Costco Vodka is cheap enough.
Checkout cashier will look at you funny if you purchase a dozen of those 1.75 Liter bottles of it.


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## sideKahr

I've got some whiskey put aside for barter. Not sure how much will make it into commerce with me under the stress of SHTF.


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