# Alcohol for preps and barter



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I am strictly a non-drinker. Don't like the taste, hate to not be 100% in control of myself and despise the toll it takes on society (but that's a whole 'nother thread). Just the same alcohol has a lot of benefits to the prepper; from disinfecting properties, to fire starting, to pain relief / medicinal uses to trade bait for other supplies. Because of that I do have several bottles of Deneka vodka in my preps. It was on sale for >$10 a bottle so I did some iPhone research and found that it was rated as one of the best low cost vodka's on the market. So I purchased a case and put it (sealed) in the man cave. Now I am considering buying more alcohol for my preps and am looking for input. Keep in mind these won't be rotated, they will just sit. And I am expecting them to be more of a barter item than an use or comfort item.

Glass bottles or plastic bottles? Plastic is less likely to break and would be easier to transport, but glass should have a longer shelf life. I would think the glass bottles could be reused but not sure about the plastic. I have also never heard of a plastic molotov cocktail. 

What size? I would think that the smaller bottles would be easier to transport and might be easier to store. But I am also betting they are more expensive (per fl oz). The vodka I have are all 750ML bottles, which I believe is called a 5th. They seem good sized to me.

Clear or brown alcohol? I had a glass of 20 year old scotch once in my 20's, tasted like gasoline. Perhaps worse. But that shot was supposed to have cost more than $100. Am I better off going for more vodka? Or is there something else that will be more sought after if the well runs dry?

How much? What do you have stored away? Perhaps my case of Vodka (9 bottles IIRC) might be enough. Doesn't seem like it however. I am sure that if one intends to trade and consume their alcohol preps the appropriate amount for storage goes way up.

Anything else that I should know?


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

You really only need enough bottles of Everclear and cheap vodka (medical purposes and training) to get you through until you can start distilling your own. The biggest prep you really need is to make a copper-tube condenser that attaches to the gauge port on your pressure canner. You can get some pretty big plastic bottles of vodka for not a lot of money.

Be careful who you trade alcohol to/with.

Building a still and making mash is an art, but is still not difficult.


----------



## brightstar (Apr 24, 2012)

I have some smaller bottles in hand as well as fifths. My thought is if a fifth is cash then smaller bottles are coins. When bartering, I want to get the most I can for as little as I can  typical woman. I only so glass bc of the reusabilty if it. I am an occasional drinker and prefer brown over clear anyway. I get Jack daniels in several sizes and also their honey whiskey (great for a sore throat or cough). But with vodka, you have the option of also using it to make your own extracts like vanilla, mint, etc giving you a whole, different item to trade with or use yourself. Maybe add a few bottles of wine too, they age well. Just my 2 cents. Oh and homemade wine is very easy to do


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Don't get hung up on brands. Cost of "proof ml" per dollar should be maximized. Glass beer bottles make the best Molotovs and are far easier to find.

In Russia, a $3 bottle (500ml) will get you out of most any speeding ticket.

A "shot" is NOT the correct way to drink good Scotch.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I am also a non drinker and have booze in my preps. I have several bottles of wine but those are slowly being used for cooking (Apricot Chicken in white wine sauce). I also have a bottle of Kirkland brand vodka. I plan to use it for medicinal and culinary purposes. As far as trade I think a few bottle of 2 Buck Chuck (Its $2.50-$3 NOW! ) should be fine .

Glass has more uses when the booze is gone. It can be slumped to make dishes. Re-melted and blown. Used to store homemade vinegars and extracts. The list goes on. You can even use the glass bottles to make THIS.

If you plan to trade smaller bottles use the moonshiners trick- mason jars. Or even better- glass jars from pasta sauce or other foods. This way you can save on the bulk buy but still trade in small amounts to stretch it out.


----------



## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

For non-consumption and specifically for burning, consider getting denatured alcohol. This is ethyl alcohol, aka ethanol. Instead of $10 per liter, it's probably $3 to $10 per gallon when purchased in bulk. A half-full tuna can will burn for about 20 minutes so it's great for cooking as it doesn't use much due to slow burn.
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/03/06/what-is-denatured-alcohol.htm

Other non-drinking alcohols can also be handy. This would be things like isopropal (sp?) alcohol. This is the cosmetic stuff. Probably $1 per liter.

A bit more expensive (I think) than vodka is moonshine if it's permitted in your state. At almost 200 proof (100% alcohol), it can be used for drinking, medicinal purposes, sanitizing...


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

ZoomZoom said:


> is moonshine if it's permitted in your state. At almost 200 proof (100% alcohol), ..


It's near impossible to get it that strong; water and alcohol have too much affinity for each other. I have seldom been able to get over 160 proof (80%) and to get higher is a *LOT* of extra work.


----------



## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Common Vodka will not burn and its sanitation properties are questionable. Rum is a commonly found in 151 proof. This will burn and will likely also sanitize. Plus you can drink it if you wish.


----------



## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

hiwall said:


> Common Vodka will not burn and its sanitation properties are questionable. Rum is a commonly found in 151 proof. This will burn and will likely also sanitize. Plus you can drink it if you wish.


Plus, drinking rum makes you a Pirate, not an alcoholic!  :cheers:


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

FatTire said:


> Plus, drinking rum makes you a Pirate, not an alcoholic!  :cheers:


And if you distill your own rum you are a Rum Runner not a moonshiner/bootlegger.


----------



## MDsapper (Mar 12, 2013)

i love whiskey


----------



## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Try Everclear*

Everclear® alcohol

Everclear is a pure grain alcohol. The brand, produced by David Sherman Corporation, comes in two strength bands, both 95% (190 proof), and 75.5% (151 proof) bottles. Although, the 95% is undeniably the most popular and most available type.

ps.:2thumb:


----------



## cqp33 (Apr 2, 2012)

I am a whiskey drinker, love my jack and coke! liqour will keep better in glass than it will in plastic. I have a stash of some vodkas and everclear but if tshtf then I will be distilling my own in short order, it is a great barter item!


----------



## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

I have a jug of 170 proof moonshine in my fridg right now. I have consumed some, however I will be keeping the rest for medicinal uses. I make my own wine and have 5-10 Gal. for trade and will be "obtaining" more "shine" soon.


----------



## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

Sentry18 said:


> I am strictly a non-drinker.


Me too.


Sentry18 said:


> Don't like the taste...


I love it. I love beer, wine, hard alcohol (straight and mixed)...I just choose not to drink it anymore...mostly for health reasons. It is a poison, after all.


Sentry18 said:


> ...hate to not be 100% in control of myself


Agreed


Sentry18 said:


> Just the same alcohol has a lot of benefits to the prepper


Because I am a former heavy drinker, I still possess a full bar. I will be able to entertain for years.

Kind of funny that my giving up alcohol freed up my cash for prepping on more important things, but now I am about to advise you how to go the other direction and spend money on alcohol.

I did buy some alcohol for preps when I was a drinker. My prep alcohol of choice was vodka. I figured a clear alcohol was the most versatile. It mixes well with pretty much anything. And having worked with a guy from Russia, I learned how to drink it straight--you don't need to buy overly expensive vodka in my opinion. But, living in the United States, whiskey is also a good choice. (For disinfecting properties, I guess I would try to stick to rubbing alcohol.)

If you want to barter, I would think the small bottles (750ml) are best (although they are definitely the most expensive). I preferred glass, but the plastic bottle vodkas are cheaper...and the container type probably won't matter if things get so bad that you are reduced to bartering alcohol...and the quality will likely not matter, either.



Sentry18 said:


> I had a glass of 20 year old scotch once in my 20's, tasted like gasoline.


I had to comment on this. Scotch is my favorite hard alcohol...and scotch is one of the most varied forms of hard alcohols when it comes to flavor. I consider myself a bit of a scotch connoisseur, and yet there are many scotches I refuse to drink. I prefer "rich" and "delicate"--see below. I know guys who swear by the "smoky" or peaty scotches, but I can't tolerate them. (They will not consider me a connoisseur because of my blasphemy, but taste is a personal thing.) Price is a necessary condition for a good scotch, but not a sufficient condition for a good tasting scotch, if you get my meaning. A friend of mine gave me a fairly expensive bottle of scotch as gift one time, but I could not drink it. You have to find out what type of scotch you like, and then stick in that area of the flavor map--but it sounds like you will not be investing the time to figure that out, being a non-drinker. I would stay away from scotch for preps, unless you plan on buying one of the most popular blends. (Typing this up is an exercise in resisting temptation. I've got some good scotch across the room calling my name right now.)









I would think a case of vodka would be good enough if you are not a drinker. If I still drank, I might stock a second case, I suppose...some of my favorite scotch as well, and maybe some Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck wine (Charles Shaw). I like good/expensive wines, but it doesn't make sense to stock them as prep items, I don't think. :cheers:


----------



## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

As a former bartender...

Vodka is the most versatile. A good vodka should be colorless, odorless, and tasteless. As such, it will take on the properties of whatever it is mixed with, hence it's popularity as a mixer. It is generally made from potatoes or grains. 

Gin is essentially vodka which has been infused with herbs, flowers, spices, or other natural flavors. 

Whiskey (or whisky. Or uisge beathe, if you are a Gaelic snob) is arguably the most varied in taste and flavor profiles. It generally has a caramel color of varying hues. Flavors range from sweet to peaty to smokey, and are too complex to address in anything less than a book. The Irish and the Scots call it the "water of life", as uisge beathe (pronounced "ooskie ba-ha") literally translates. I just call it, "the nectar of the gods", or when I am camping with the guys, "breakfast". 

Rum is made from sugar cane. It is, as Fat Tire said, the preferred drink of pirates. And college girls, when mixed with various fruit juices and grenadine. 

Tequila tastes like lighter fluid mixed with turpentine which has gone bad. It is distilled from the crushed dreams of Mexicans who could not escape across their northern border. It is best used to make your Irish cousins vomit when you feel like pulling a mean prank on them. 

Moonshine is illegally produced whiskey which varies from "delicious and artisanal" to "poisonous and deadly". It can be wonderful, but only drink it from a source which you know and trust. There is a great book which I highly recommend called, "Chasing the White Dog". 

As a cop...

Moonshine is bad, mmmkay?

Please drink responsibly.


----------



## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I plan on avoiding barter and other people completely. Anybody you meet post-SHTF could be running out of food and looking for someone to rob for their food.

If I was going to barter I'd consider food to be the best barter item. A large can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew can feed a family. A can of Campbell's Soup can feed one person.

If the person who wants to barter hunts small game you might trade a can of corn and/or a can of pineapple for a rabbit.


----------



## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

LincTex said:


> It's near impossible to get it that strong; water and alcohol have too much affinity for each other. I have seldom been able to get over 160 proof (80%) and to get higher is a *LOT* of extra work.


I have gotten it higher, but as you say it's a bunch of work and loss too...

Jimmy


----------



## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

Well I do take a drink from time to time. 

As far as trading material, I have managed to store up about 20 half pints of various types. All glass bottles. Very trade-able and easy to store. Kept out of sunlight and below 90*, should last forever.

Jimmy


----------



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

As an avid producer and consumer of alcohol in moderation (Everything in moderation, including sobriety), I think that there will eventually be a lot of homebrew/moonshine on the market if tshtf. However commercially produced stuff will most likely get a premium, at least in some situations because it is a known quantity.

I think something like everclear (95%) or similar is the most useful because it can't be made easily and yet it can be used for everything that alcohol can be used for. However there may also be situations where a "good" bottle of spirits/wine will get you something that everclear may not, (this is just not as certain imo). 

Personally, if it was for barter in a shtf scenario I would go for 750ml glass bottles of Everclear or cheap vodka second, both things that I don't particularly care to drink. Maybe some recognizable whiskey would be a decent higher end hedge, like JD or Crown Royal up here (neither of these are favorites of mine either) these might get you somewhere with the "haves" in a bad situation.

The alcohol that I actually like to drink for flavour and health benefits like mead, beer, the occasional good rye, vintage port, herbal liquers, etc would be hard to predict in value in a disaster, to those who really valued them and were well off they may be worth a fortune (How many bushels of grain would I give for a bottle of Zwack if I though I would never see another?):dunno:


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I’m a drinker so have my own personal stash of brandy. I also have a few bottles of vodka, 100 proof and half gallons of Everclear for tinctures and watermelons. I do not plan on bartering any of it, it is too valuable a resource for me. As far as home production, I did that years ago. It was a really fun hobby to experiment with. Made some awesome fruit brandies distilling batches of wine. I can tell the folks who are thinking of trying it, watch the taste of your mash carefully, that will affect the flavor of your final product. If it tastes nasty before you run it, it is going to taste really nasty after you are through.


----------



## monkeywarrior (Aug 21, 2013)

There will always be people out there who want to get drunk so alcohol can be used after the SHTF to barter for stuff you want. An alcoholic will probably give up a lot of food, ammo and tools for a bottle of vodka after his own supply runs out.  Vodka should be your number one choice because vodka will be the most sought after alcohol after the SHTF.


----------



## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

Well, I resisted the temptation to have a scotch last night after making my first post in this thread.

Here I am on a Friday night reading this thread and resisting the temptation again. 

You guys are making me very strong!


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

monkeywarrior said:


> There will always be people out there who want to get drunk so alcohol can be used after the SHTF to barter for stuff you want. An alcoholic will probably give up a lot of food, ammo and tools for a bottle of vodka after his own supply runs out.  Vodka should be your number one choice because vodka will be the most sought after alcohol after the SHTF.


Makes me wonder who he will let go without to get some alcohol. I would not want to the guy who barters alcohol for food only to find out my trading partner's children were starving because of it. Did I mention that I hate alcohol?

On a side note last year I attended the annual evidence destruction get together at the landfill (2 tier supervisory oversight). 2 trucks of bottled alcohol beverages being dumped and then run over by a bulldozer. Apparently there were many cases of high end stuff in there too. I thought it was pretty funny but one of the evidence custodians nearly shed a tear as they smashed a full case of Johnny Walker Blue (whatever that is).


----------



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Tacitus said:


> Well, I resisted the temptation to have a scotch last night after making my first post in this thread.
> 
> Here I am on a Friday night reading this thread and resisting the temptation again.
> 
> You guys are making me very strong!


Hey Tacitus, sorry if my comments make anything tougher for you, several friends and family members have/had problems with drinking and I know it can be very serious. It is one of those tough things like eating where for many it is a healthy part of their life so it is hard to avoid, I feel bad for people with serious food addictions/eating disorders with all the food porn these days. Everyone has to know themselves and it sounds like you certainly do. I had a relative that was in AA half their life, many years sober and still felt like if he started he might not be able to stop, but he didn't let it bother him he just knew for him that was the way it was.


----------



## dutch9mm (Jul 29, 2013)

I'm not a big drinker but I do have 14 bottles of Jack 10 big bottles of vodka numerous bottles of wine and all for trade or if it gets bad enough something for me to forget for the moment


----------



## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

cowboyhermit said:


> Hey Tacitus, sorry if my comments make anything tougher for you, several friends and family members have/had problems with drinking and I know it can be very serious. ... Everyone has to know themselves and it sounds like you certainly do. I had a relative that was in AA half their life, many years sober and still felt like if he started he might not be able to stop, but he didn't let it bother him he just knew for him that was the way it was.


Hey, thanks for the thoughts, but no worries here.

I'm sure I sound like an alcoholic, but I'm not actually sure what an alcoholic is, exactly. Maybe I am one??? I just decided I drank too much, and I decided to quit for health reasons.

A guy at work died of organ failure, and around the same time I had some "biometrics" done that indicated I had some hidden health issues. I kind of had a "come to Jesus" moment. I have kids, and I wanted to be around for grandkids and great-grandkids, and I decided that I wanted to be healthy. Doctor and I set about changing my lifestyle, and one thing we decided to do was stop forcing my liver to process that poison every day. So far, so good.

Sometimes I crave the scotch, or an IPA, but all in all, I've grown comfortable without it all.


----------



## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

I joke, but in all honesty, I have had a grand total of about six beers in the last five months. My wife is pregnant with our first child, so the few that I have had have strictly been to cover for her before we were ready to tell our families. 

I do stock a good bit of quality liquor which I will enjoy on a very infrequent basis, and a fairly large selection of wine, which my wife and will enjoy on a more regular basis (although not in the last five months, clearly!), but I don't think I would like to have it known that I have a large stock available for trade. Alcohol is a vice item, and as such, people are willing to do a lot to get what they want/need. This point has been brought up in the past, and the more I weigh the value against the danger, I don't think it is something in which I would trade.


----------



## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Turtle said:


> I do stock a good bit of quality liquor which I will enjoy on a very infrequent basis, and a fairly large selection of wine, which my wife and will enjoy on a more regular basis (although not in the last five months, clearly!), but I don't think I would like to have it known that I have a large stock available for trade. Alcohol is a vice item, and as such, people are willing to do a lot to get what they want/need. This point has been brought up in the past, and the more I weigh the value against the danger, I don't think it is something in which I would trade.


No alcohol for trade here either. No interest in becoming the local shtf juke joint.


----------



## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

As someone who grew up with too many alcoholics, I am almost a non drinker. But, I do have some booze.

I have a couple cases of Charles Shaw (now 3 buck chuck from Trader Joe's), a couple bottles of rum (for rum cake) from a trip to Puerto Rico a few years ago, ameretto for cooking, and a couple bottles of vodka for making vanilla, etc.

I am not considering booze for barter, but it might be a good idea.


----------



## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I am new so let me know if I am out on a limb.
First rule of prepping for barter is not to store anything you can not use your self.
This is so if it gets really bad you can use it.
Alcohol is one of the few thing that is almost as good as monies.I agree with bright star on the clear alcohols.
But more then one kind should help with bartering just the same.
I can see it now TSHTF never happens, I die at 95 years young & my children,grans,great grans break open my stash & throw a big party with the dry goods,alcohols, nuts,dehydrated fruits & so on.
Well, it could happen, maybe not, but I like happy endings.


----------



## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

I stock 1/2 pints and pints of gin, vodka, blended whiskey, scotch, bourbon and seveal fifths of the above alcohols. Very important prep. Stick with me and I will explain why.

Back in '03 we had a major electrical grid failure that affected many states, not just neighbohoods. My house had a whole house automatic generator so I had no concerns about my castle. As I use up foods in the freezer I replace the volume with bags of ice. (Me thinks it improves efficiency of the freezer) I always keep several cases of beer in the pantry. 

I had had surgery on my shoulder and could not lift my arm very high. Two weeks prior to the power failure I had a large tree limb fall on my second level deck and I was unable to use the chainsaw to remove it. I offered either $75.00 or $100.00 to an unemployed neighbor to just cut it free from the porch and I would take it from there once it was on the ground. For two weeks I got only excuses from him.

On the second day of the failure I went to my house (I was staying with my folks that were in their 80's at the time) to grab some ice, beer and spare propane and gasoline. I filled up my 120 quart coolers with ice, beer and water. On my last trip out of the house the guy that was to cut the tree limb down approached me as I had a case of beer and a bag of ice in my hands. He not only cut down the limb but cut and stacked it for 1/2 of my case of beer and a bag of ice. He WANTED THE BEER AND ICE MORE THAN THE BUCKS.

Idiots will always pay dearly to support their vices. If I can pay someone a bottle of whiskey for splitting a chord of wood........why not? If I can trade a vice for an effective unit of work that sounds great to me.

I got the tree limb removed for about $10 rather than the 75-100 I initially offered. Good deal or not, You decide.

For me hooch will be a great bartering tool.

Tugs


----------



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I can also use it as bait to lure my enemies into ambushes! "Hey, is that a fifth of Vodka sitting on the road between those tree rows? Let's go get it!". Rat-a-tat-tat-bang-bang-bang-pow.


----------



## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

For those who don't know, alcoholics go to meetings. Everyone else is just a drunk. I like storing a good variety of liquor cause I might need a drinkypoo during the apocalypse. I also bought a beer making kit and need to get started on that too. I really don't plan on trading so I buy only the big bottles (1.75 liter) but I can split those up if needed. I try to get a decent wine rack going but my wife and her girlfriends get together and they get a tad thirsty. Oh well, at least that's one prep area that gets rotated thru. BTW, I've been making infused whiskeys and vodkas. Very tasty and easy! Just 2 lbs of whatever fruit you like and a 1.75 of hooch. Let it sit in a glass gallon jar for 2 weeks.Don't use the top shelf liquor either. Makes cheap booze much better tasting. I have some blackberry seagrams 7 that is amazing! Also, costco has killer liquor at killer prices if you're a member.


----------



## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

tugboats said:


> Idiots will always pay dearly to support their vices. If I can pay someone a bottle of whiskey for splitting a chord of wood........why not? If I can trade a vice for an effective unit of work that sounds great to me. I got the tree limb removed for about $10 rather than the 75-100 I initially offered.


That's totally awesome!


----------

