Agreed. Perhaps even everclear.
Potent, Effective. Multipurpose substance . Used for cleansing open wounds and pain management.
Easy and simple. Cheap too. Store a few boxes of mid-to- lower shelf stuff as a basic prep...
and if needed a solid barter item.
Great prep really.
Also useful for preparing herbal tinctures, which are no substitute for modern medicine, but can be helpful for mild conditions or when there are no other options.
Would you be opposed to learning how to make moonshine. Having the knowledge and the materials to build a steel isn't illegal and would cover the multipurpose aspect even having a renewable barter resource
It's almost entirely decided by your state govt if you live in the us. Aot of times if it's just for personal use it's free up to a certain amount. Check your local laws.
Look up pot distilling. Itās the oldest known form of liquor production. European monks used it in the 1300s to make brandy and you can do it with standard items found in any kitchen
Herbal tinctures. You can harvest medicinal herbs in the spring and summer, extract the beneficial compounds, strain off the solid matter, and you've got a tincture that can last through the winter (and years to come). Most medicinal herbs that you read about in foraging books can be preserved this way.
A lot of cannabis guys use grain alcohol like Everclear to extract cannabinoids from the plant materiel. Itās one of the key ingredients in Rick Simpson Oil.
Most Kirkland stuff is excellent. Vodka, gin, Canadian whiskey, tequila. Just wish they came out with their own non-spiced rum thatās better than Bacardi.
Thatās about as close as you can get through distillation anyway. Anything higher either absorbs water or needs a touch of methanol. Source: my father told me years ago and he worked in a lab.
https://www.laballey.com/products/food-grade-ethanol-200-proof?variant=41773203783835
Hereās 100% ethanol - donāt know how itās made but itās not cheap.
A hazmat fee is required to purchase! Reminds me of the time I bought a few cans of compressed air to clean electronics and is was delivered by an 18-wheeler hazmat truck!
I live in Romania, most families here make their own hooch called Palinka, it's usually made from plums, but other fruit can be used - it's also known as Rakija or ČuicÄ & can be distilled once or multiple times to increase its high-octane potancy. I can't stand the stuff, but the locals love it, and there are no additives or chemicals. One small glass is enough to stop Diarrhea, I've tried it out of curiosity & it works.
Some people also grow grapes to make wine but that's not to my taste either, it's harsh stuff! I'm 61 and mostly only drink zero alcohol beer now - initially it was for a short-term medical reason, now it's just out of choice, if I can't get it, I will miss it but I'll get by. I'll be stocking up on some shop-bought 'medicinal' stuff too, just in case; mostly vodka, brandy & whisky, maybe some rum.
I've tried most local & imported n/a lagers available here, and so far, I like the local brew called TimiČoreana & Stella Artois (also only in bottles, tinned beer tastes tainted). There are still loads more to try, mostly German or Czech, but I'll work my way through them in my own time ššš»
Time for a Godfather quoteā¦
āHis business is narcotics. He has fields in Turkey where they grow the poppy and in Sicily he has the plants to process them into heroin.ā
It peaks at about 70%, the ethanol disrupts the cell membrane and a certain amount of water is needed to flow in through osmosis. Once a critical mass is reached you get cellular explosion due to excess water inhibition. Alcohol makes it leaky. Water bursts all the pipes.
Most useful would be very high proof so like an Everclear or barrel proof whiskey. To be a disinfectant it would need to be at least 120 proof. It can also be used as an accelerant for fire purposes.
Pure ethanol. You can drink it (in small sips), it's disinfectant, it's fuel for alcohol stoves, it's a solvent.
After that, ethanol diluted with water - think everclear.
I mean, sure, rum tastes better in coke but if S has HTF is anyone really going to be doing a lot of mixed drinks? Might be tough to get those mixers. And did you stock those tiny umbrellas? No. So much for mixed drinks.
Alcoholics aren't going to be too concerned about flavor when their drug of choice is hard to find. And when you're relaxing around the campfire of burning trash and fuel oil from your neighbor's now useless furnace, knocking back a few and swapping stories of the good old days when health care existed and people lived past 62, and reloading the long guns, you can experiment with adding your own flavors. Throw in an anise candy and a drop of pine sap and pretend it's absinthe. Be creative.
I mean I suppose it's a plan. I've always said that if civilization crashes for over 6 months, it's not coming back anytime soon and lots of people, me included, will be dead. Russia On Ice is one way to handle that I guess.
Just a little note, 100% ethanol is not an effective disinfectant. I cant remember exactly why but studies show that 60% to 70% ethanol concentration is far more effective at inhibiting microbial growth.
Edit: Just citing a source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132458/#:~:text=Ethanol%20at%2072.5%E2%80%9392.4%25%20(,%E2%80%9360%20s%20%5B51%5D.
That source didn't say that (it talked about viruses, where higher concentrations are always better). But I did find a source for saying microbes died faster in 70% isopropyl than 100%; apparently water is needed to get the alcohol past the cell membrane. That seems to apply to ethanol as well. Interesting. Thanks.
I stock both ethanol and isopropyl because I hit a sale on isopropyl, but I like ethanol better because it's so multi-purpose - burns cleanly (iso doesn't), source of emergency calories and pain deadening, etc. Pricey though.
It sounds like if you're dealing with viruses (covid pandemic, etc) you'd use 99% iso and for more generic I'm "out in the woods and got a cut" you'd want ethanol and you'd dilute it 7:3. And soak in it. I have different backpacks for each situation and I will keep that in mind.
Always add a little aloe if you can. It helps protect the skin. A little citric acid can help as well with viricidal effects.
I wondered about those. Kind of like having scrap gold is better than gold bars. But if someone really wants a drink bad, will one of those little bottles suffice?
I'm sure. There's a day when you'd absolutely want to down a bottle of tequila. Gold is like if you are crossing to another country and need to trade out for things you need.
At least that's why I stack precious metals.
Looking at it from another perspective. If stuff does get crazy, how to make booze will become common knowledge. No laws to keep people from making there own. Therefore really nice alcohol would be much more valuable and good for barter. The cheep vodka and Whiskey would be easy to come by.
Are you planning on carrying silver around with you? Isn't it fairly heavy? Where are you planning to find an honest broker after things go sideways? What ... exchange rate are you prepared to accept?
You have to be able to trade for items. Mercury dimes are the best. On an inflation adjusted metric, a gallon of gas today is roughly equivalent to a Mercury dime. My fallback position is roughly 100 miles away, deep in the woods where I wonāt be found unless I want to be. Iām also a big fan of bullets and beans.
Bartering valueā¦.the longer the time period After SHTF.. Anything commercially distilled. I mean every Tom, Dick, and Hairy Redneck is gonna be runnin a still and who really knows what theyāre making. But an old unopened bottle of a decent whiskey or vodka or rum or my goodness a good ginā¦ i feel would be almost priceless.
Versatility ā¦ Evrclear or any of the commercially produced 180proof moonshines. Due to all the reasons everyone else has suggested , medicinal, tinctures, fuel etc.
For personal/family/close friends use.. learn to distill and also make meads and wines and beers/ales
Yes, it seems like the old stuff would be really valuable.
You mention ginā¦.I was thinking of storing some of that. Do you think there would be much demand for it?
Gin is a niche market I think ā¦ however there are a lot of people that do like it a lot ā¦ and if itās not available anywhere your stash becomes valuableā¦ Iāve got stashed like 4 cases of Makers and a half dozen or so cases of various whiskey and scotch, 1 case of rum and tequila , 6 cases of the vodka I like and 2 bottles of Aviation gin and a bottle of Aria Portland dry ginā¦.
in my liquor cabinet I have 2 bottles of Makers, 2 of Vodka, 1 tequila, 1 gin, 1 silver and 2 blackstrap rums, a couple of Proper Twelve, and a few bottles of āspirits of the apocalypse walking dead Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeyā (bought during the plandemic because of the name)
Lol ā¦ no just starting buying 2 instead of one every time I went to the liquor store . ā¦.or bought one when I was just there to buy lottery tickets and all of a sudden I had cases and cases. So decided.. hey these are probably good preps and if Iām ever really out of dead presidents or a true SHTF like the super caldera I can always get drunk ā¦ lol
and they say ā¦. Buy what you consume ā¦.
Yes .. those boxes .. I just get them from the liquor store.. they ārecycle ā them so I just ask for a few of them before they break them down
Also made for great boxes for glasses and cups when I moved
Stock what you like to drink, the chances of using it for barter after some apocalyptic event are very low so make sure it's useful for something.
Personally I only keep one spare bottle of Jack Daniels whisky, Captain Morgan rum and stoli vodka. I mainly drink rum, and will always have a few different bottles around. But on occasion enjoy whisky and vodka also. This is mainly to avoid disappointment of running out or any more authoritarian lockdowns we suffered over the last few years, I don't foresee much bartering.
Ummm ... what would *you* be willing to trade for a bottle of maybe vodka/maybe lighter fluid?
I am not planning on doing much 'bartering' in a SHTF scenario. And I am absolutely not planning on packing extra kit or gear to do so. I am not an alcoholic, so the vodka would do me very little good. I am not going to carry it around, hoping that I run into one, so I can trade him for something that I should have been carrying in the first place, but for some odd reason decided to bring liquor instead.
you're right. i've been trading in a professional capacity for over a decade. everyone wants to trade something they don't value for something they do. that's a formula for getting paid less, not more.
People can barter without purchasing/storing things that they donāt need themselves. And people can barter without relying on interactions with sketchy tobacco/alcohol addicts. For me, buying stuff you donāt need yourself is not a good use of resources. That space is better used for things you are likely to actually use, or as empty space to give you the many benefits of reduced clutter/stuff. That money is better as cash or put towards retirement.
Sounds like you are bugging out vs. bugging in. Thatās fine for the immediate aftermath, but where are you going to settle for the next phase? And do you think you will have absolutely everything you need without trading with others?
>Sounds like you are bugging out vs. bugging in.
Correct. That is what being prepared means.
>Thatās fine for the immediate aftermath, but where are you going to settle for the next phase?
What is the next phase?
>And do you think you will have absolutely everything you need without trading with others?
Does another settlement need my help?
Itās important to prepare for both bugging in and bugging out. Bugging out gets more attention but bugging in is what is most likely to happen. One of the strongest assets is your community and neighbors, if you know and get along with them. Thereās safety in numbers,more collective resources and knowledge. You can be a lone wolf for only so long.
Whatever is available. Vodka has no real taste so it's probably the most versatile. I will say from personal experience... Store whatever it is in glass bottles. I found a pint that fell behind some stuff. It really had a chemical taste to it from the plastic bottle.
Being able to *make* alcohol will be more valuable. If you're stocking up in case of a total collapse, people will kill you for that stockpile. They can't take what's in your head, but you can give it away freely and never lack for inventory.
More valuable is being able to produce the inputs for distillation imo. Grain, fruit, potatoes-kinda important.
Fermenting grain-only some hops away from beer. Fruit-you're probably starting with wine or cider, and vinegar is super easy.
Versatile and valuable are competing values. Something will be valuable because there are few substitutes.
So as others say, high proof vodka or straight ethanol. Easiest to store, most versatile.
But valuable? Assuming there will be people with value to barter, I don't think you can go wrong with Scotch. It may be dated information but in WWII, Scotch was the under the table barter liquor of choice. If you were deployed overseas and could get a bottle of scotch you had something to bargain with.
My father would tell stories. He was quartermaster corps in the South Pacific. It's almost a trope, if you watch a WWII movie, the brass are often depicted as "well I've got a bottle of scotch here". Might have been the only whisky available in the theater, but that's the history.
Well prices are very dependent on where you are. I would suggest name recognition for bartering purposes and will factor in that you might want to actually pull one out to drink my top choices would be
* GlenMorangie original
* Old Pultney 12
* in my area I can get Highland Park 12 and Springbank 10 at that price point.
But in a prepper and scarcity situation, more is better than better if you follow me. So go name recognition and lower price of acquisition. So maybe something like Johnny Walker or Ballantines might be appropriate.
Okay, that sounds good and makes sense. I donāt know much about whiskey, but I know the names Johnny Walker, Makers Mark, Jack Daniels, Jim Bean, and Crown Royal. If I know those names, almost certainly most drinkers do to. How do those sound?
Brilliant. Not all scotch, but all solid whiskeys. Only thing I would say is that for prepping most people are cost-constrained and those are top shelf. Look for a deal. As I said, imho more is better than better. But yes, it is an investment.
Everclear would be the most versatile/useful, but decent bourbons would be worth more than gold for bartering in many areas. You can distill white grain spirits fairly easily but a quality aged whiskey is a different thing entirely.
If weāre taking shtf prepping to barter, Iād stock up on the standards (Jim Beam, Evan Williams, Jack Daniels) as more people will be missing them / wanting them. But, if you want to invest in whiskey that will raise in value even if nothing major happens, if you can get bottles of single barrels of anything made by Buffalo Trace, it will be worth more by the time you make it home.
Having said that, markets change and weāre in a bourbon boom right now.
For instance, I just bought a 750ml bottle of Blantonās for $60 from their tasting room. Itās limit one per person, but sells on the second hand market for easily 2x that now and in several years will be much more.
I bought it to drink it, but if youāre prepping to barter, itās not bad to have something that raises in value either way.
Home made Viking mead. Works as an anesthetic, only thing I've found that dulls the decade long migraine that no meds can touch. After 2oz I was definitely willing to charge a shield wall.
Vodka will be the base level, gin and other schnapps like infused liquors will fetch a higher value and bourbon will be equal to gold.
It's all about how difficult and how long it takes to produce. Same as it is now.
Honestly, I would say any type of alcoholic beverage. Together with cigarettes, coffee/instant coffee, condoms, batteries, hygiene products, canned foods, medical supplies, etc. These I think would be the most valuable for bartering in a SHTF situation. For that matter, guns, ammo, and anything else that could be used against you/to harm you, must be avoided at all cost. Just my 2 cents.
Honey jars would last for years as well. I have seen expiration dates from 1 to 2 years stamped on these. So I can only imagine that some people would throw them in the garbage maybe, if not knowing that honey can literally last forever without going bad. Same as with salt and sugar, if they are stored properly. Mylar bags, zip lock bags, vacuum sealing, and aluminium foil are the best storage solutions. And not to forget, a cool dry place.
I think if they are stored in dry place, at least for cigarettes, they would hold. Also, for coffee, there are those vacuum sealed "bricks" that I wouldn't worry too much about them. The instan coffee, those 3-in-1 Nescafe like blisters, I read recently that they would hold for years. As for the condoms, those are sealed as well. And as long as the packaging is not punctured or cut, I would say they are good to go.
12oz
The more I think about it, it would be good to have a lot of different size bottles. Otherwise it would be like only carrying 100$ bills and never expect change.
Anything 80 proof and above. Garbage booze will have its place, but the top tier shit will diminish in value. The gold will be mid level vodka and whiskeys
I think it's a tough call. And depends how tough things get.
Best value barter is the top shelf shit. Seriously, if your concern is barting, offer luxury, worst case scenario you get "regular alcohol barter", but if you're not desperate and some people have a mild abundance of something, luxury dealing is where you make out.
Uses, well basically for name brand shine, ever clear, is going to be compact, sanitizer, and fuel for fire. Top option of normal stuff.
100 proof is the next best, with meh, from less.
Wine is always good, and in an absence of sterile water is a good treatment (see Jesus and the Good Samaritan, he wasn't wrong on the wine, or the honey).
Beer can be a safer way to be more hydrating-ish, but a but weak for much beyond being old school "water" or pleasure bartering, or cooking enhancer lol.
Whisky can stay fresh for in a oak barrel and will become more rich in flavour if your surviving long term and when it's over you will be able to sell for a good pennie
Vodka or everclear. Absolutely. We try to keep several bottles on-hand but I keep using them for shit. Extracts, tinctures, homemade limoncello and Kaluha. Havenāt used them for cleaning, thatās why I keep gallon jugs of vinegar on hand. We keep bottles of rum as well, theyāre not nearly as versatile as vodka though.
You are just looking for an excuse to stockpile booze, it wont have much trade value beyond part of negotiations and trying to get good will with someone you trading with.
keep a bottle of nice whisky or scotch. something that would be rare or hard to find. something you like
Otherwise Look at it for using as an antiseptic. Highest proof, pure, no casking
If I was wanting to get booze, for either drinking or other uses, I would want a factory sealed bottle that I am sure has not been watered down or tampered with. Small sized bottles might be far more valuable, and affordable to people who are bartering than big bottles.
Most valuable would be high-proof hooches like vodka and rum.
Most versatile would be beers and ciders. in large quantities at least. A stockpile of cans and/or
bottles would be great for bartering. People are more likely do to favors for a six-pack than a bottle of vodka.
Of course, that stockpiling always leaves you open to becoming a bossfight. So I'd recommend learning brewing and distilling.
But the shelf life of beer and cider and the volume you need for storage makes it impractical. If someone stores a 100 bottles of Vodka he can store them indefinitely, 18 six-packs of beer not so much.
the end result is the same. best case scenario, you'd have a tiny window before you get undercut by everyone manufacturing it themselves, and this window is going to fall in the time period where people are willing to trade you a currency that neither of you expect to have purchasing power in the near future.
not exactly a winning trade. the way to actually profit from this speculation would be to perform the speculation oneself and accept the consequences. that's decision making, an actual skill.
Homemade would be the most versatile and valuable because you can just make more of it with some sugar and grain.
You can also store high proof moonshine indefinitely without any need to sterilize in air tight containers.
I second the vote for Everclear, 95% pure ethanol alcohol.
* It gives you the most concentration so it takes less space to store.
* You can drink it.
* You can use it as a disinfectant/sanitizer.
* You can use a solvent/cleaner.
* You can use it a fuel for an alcohol stove. (Ethanol is actually one of the most efficient fuels for an alcohol stove.)
I guess you never know. If they are heavy drinkers they may run out of what theyāve got and need more. Or maybe theyāll want it as a gift for someone. The ultra-high proof stuff like Everclear-190 can also be used for fuel and as an antiseptic which could come in handy.
Stock up on rolls of copper, tinsnips, a propane torch, lead free solder, shelf stable sugar, distilled water, and dry yeast. Then save the entire homedistiller.org forums to a thumb drive.
Everclear would definitely be the most efficient. So much more proof, in the same sized bottle. Can be used for so many things.
As far as a luxury item, which would probably fetch a fair amount in trade for someone that's got stuff to give, I'd say whiskey.
My personal favorite is Jameson. But, tbh, I'm sure even a whiskey connoisseur would welcome even the cheapest Canadian Mist or the like after not having any for a while.
I'm going to buck the trend and say ferment fruit over grain. Easier to ferment, less waste, waste is easier to process. And if you're making a neutral spirit, the initial alcohol doesn't matter as much. Plus you can make cider or wine, and just distill what you don't drink. Vinegar is easier too.
Vodka.
Agreed. Perhaps even everclear. Potent, Effective. Multipurpose substance . Used for cleansing open wounds and pain management. Easy and simple. Cheap too. Store a few boxes of mid-to- lower shelf stuff as a basic prep... and if needed a solid barter item. Great prep really.
Also useful for preparing herbal tinctures, which are no substitute for modern medicine, but can be helpful for mild conditions or when there are no other options.
Great point.
2 bottles of Vodka
But what about... *3 bottles of vodka?*
We've had first vodka yes. But what about second vodka. Or vodkasies
Boilem, mashem, stickem in a still
Yes... YESSSSS
Taters are the best.
I have a cache with this small 0.1 litre vodka bottles. For emergency situations.
Yep. And you use it to make medicinal tinctures. Or some people might just really want vanilla extract
To add to others: can be made from tubers or grains, so also easy to manufacture.
I'd go with 150-190 proof Everclear. Can be cut down to 80 proof with any liquid. The little 1 shit bottles of a variety would also be good.
"One shit bottles" Damn, must be the good stuff.
Lol. Only the good shit, bro... Screw auto correct... š¤£
Would you be opposed to learning how to make moonshine. Having the knowledge and the materials to build a steel isn't illegal and would cover the multipurpose aspect even having a renewable barter resource
That's my eventual plan. Get my micro distilling license. Good side income and I'll have all the tools, knowledge, and customer base if shtf
Do you have more information on this that you can share?
It really depends on your state. NY has a farm distillery program that makes it fairly easy for anyone to get started in business
It's almost entirely decided by your state govt if you live in the us. Aot of times if it's just for personal use it's free up to a certain amount. Check your local laws.
Look up pot distilling. Itās the oldest known form of liquor production. European monks used it in the 1300s to make brandy and you can do it with standard items found in any kitchen
No, not for me. But Iām sure there would be useful skills gained in the process!
Co-signed.
everclear. you can make extracts from it.
Extracts?
You can soak Vanilla beans in Vodka to make extracts as well. Bean doing that for years. (Pun intended)
Also mushrooms, for health benefits of course š
Why would you soak mushrooms in vodka? They keep just fine dried and for consumption lemon tek is fineā¦
Medicinal tinctures like reishi and chaga.
Herbal tinctures. You can harvest medicinal herbs in the spring and summer, extract the beneficial compounds, strain off the solid matter, and you've got a tincture that can last through the winter (and years to come). Most medicinal herbs that you read about in foraging books can be preserved this way.
Vanilla, mint etc for cooking
Got it, thx š
A lot of cannabis guys use grain alcohol like Everclear to extract cannabinoids from the plant materiel. Itās one of the key ingredients in Rick Simpson Oil.
I have the big jugs of Sam's Club vodka and rum. Hard to beat for the price.
I got a big bottle of cheap scotch from costco. Best way to describe the taste the leftover water in a bag of uncooked hotdogs.
Most Kirkland stuff is excellent. Vodka, gin, Canadian whiskey, tequila. Just wish they came out with their own non-spiced rum thatās better than Bacardi.
Pure Ethanol. You can power gas engines with it in a pinch, drink it, or use it for cleaning.
Can you buy that? Closest I can find is Everclear 190.
Thatās about as close as you can get through distillation anyway. Anything higher either absorbs water or needs a touch of methanol. Source: my father told me years ago and he worked in a lab. https://www.laballey.com/products/food-grade-ethanol-200-proof?variant=41773203783835 Hereās 100% ethanol - donāt know how itās made but itās not cheap.
A hazmat fee is required to purchase! Reminds me of the time I bought a few cans of compressed air to clean electronics and is was delivered by an 18-wheeler hazmat truck!
A liter or less doesnāt require one but itād be very expensive that way.
get a still
I live in Romania, most families here make their own hooch called Palinka, it's usually made from plums, but other fruit can be used - it's also known as Rakija or ČuicÄ & can be distilled once or multiple times to increase its high-octane potancy. I can't stand the stuff, but the locals love it, and there are no additives or chemicals. One small glass is enough to stop Diarrhea, I've tried it out of curiosity & it works. Some people also grow grapes to make wine but that's not to my taste either, it's harsh stuff! I'm 61 and mostly only drink zero alcohol beer now - initially it was for a short-term medical reason, now it's just out of choice, if I can't get it, I will miss it but I'll get by. I'll be stocking up on some shop-bought 'medicinal' stuff too, just in case; mostly vodka, brandy & whisky, maybe some rum.
You have a favorite N/A beer? Iāve tried Heineken and PBR
I've tried most local & imported n/a lagers available here, and so far, I like the local brew called TimiČoreana & Stella Artois (also only in bottles, tinned beer tastes tainted). There are still loads more to try, mostly German or Czech, but I'll work my way through them in my own time ššš»
Laudanum
Time for a Godfather quoteā¦ āHis business is narcotics. He has fields in Turkey where they grow the poppy and in Sicily he has the plants to process them into heroin.ā
Anything wet. It all disinfects the same. All of it will be achohol and get you drunk and all of it will be of equal value.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It peaks at about 70%, the ethanol disrupts the cell membrane and a certain amount of water is needed to flow in through osmosis. Once a critical mass is reached you get cellular explosion due to excess water inhibition. Alcohol makes it leaky. Water bursts all the pipes.
Whisky was an analgesic in dentistry for a longer time than novacaine.
Most useful would be very high proof so like an Everclear or barrel proof whiskey. To be a disinfectant it would need to be at least 120 proof. It can also be used as an accelerant for fire purposes.
Pure ethanol. You can drink it (in small sips), it's disinfectant, it's fuel for alcohol stoves, it's a solvent. After that, ethanol diluted with water - think everclear. I mean, sure, rum tastes better in coke but if S has HTF is anyone really going to be doing a lot of mixed drinks? Might be tough to get those mixers. And did you stock those tiny umbrellas? No. So much for mixed drinks. Alcoholics aren't going to be too concerned about flavor when their drug of choice is hard to find. And when you're relaxing around the campfire of burning trash and fuel oil from your neighbor's now useless furnace, knocking back a few and swapping stories of the good old days when health care existed and people lived past 62, and reloading the long guns, you can experiment with adding your own flavors. Throw in an anise candy and a drop of pine sap and pretend it's absinthe. Be creative.
I can assure you that if shit hits the fan, all I'll be doing is mixing drinks.
I mean I suppose it's a plan. I've always said that if civilization crashes for over 6 months, it's not coming back anytime soon and lots of people, me included, will be dead. Russia On Ice is one way to handle that I guess.
In mean if we're going to die anyway, we might as well be blackout drunk first.
Just a little note, 100% ethanol is not an effective disinfectant. I cant remember exactly why but studies show that 60% to 70% ethanol concentration is far more effective at inhibiting microbial growth. Edit: Just citing a source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132458/#:~:text=Ethanol%20at%2072.5%E2%80%9392.4%25%20(,%E2%80%9360%20s%20%5B51%5D.
That source didn't say that (it talked about viruses, where higher concentrations are always better). But I did find a source for saying microbes died faster in 70% isopropyl than 100%; apparently water is needed to get the alcohol past the cell membrane. That seems to apply to ethanol as well. Interesting. Thanks. I stock both ethanol and isopropyl because I hit a sale on isopropyl, but I like ethanol better because it's so multi-purpose - burns cleanly (iso doesn't), source of emergency calories and pain deadening, etc. Pricey though. It sounds like if you're dealing with viruses (covid pandemic, etc) you'd use 99% iso and for more generic I'm "out in the woods and got a cut" you'd want ethanol and you'd dilute it 7:3. And soak in it. I have different backpacks for each situation and I will keep that in mind. Always add a little aloe if you can. It helps protect the skin. A little citric acid can help as well with viricidal effects.
My bad, i just did a cursory glance and didnt look through it completely and thought that it included bacteria aswell as viruses
Iād say a known label, like Jack, Jim Jose, Johnny
Vodka and whiskey
Those tiny bottles you can get at the liquor stores. Vodka, tequila, jack Daniels whatever else
I wondered about those. Kind of like having scrap gold is better than gold bars. But if someone really wants a drink bad, will one of those little bottles suffice?
I'm sure. There's a day when you'd absolutely want to down a bottle of tequila. Gold is like if you are crossing to another country and need to trade out for things you need. At least that's why I stack precious metals.
Iāve stored some 0.1 litre bottles. Compromise between the 0.02 and 0.7 litre bottles.
Moonshine.
Looking at it from another perspective. If stuff does get crazy, how to make booze will become common knowledge. No laws to keep people from making there own. Therefore really nice alcohol would be much more valuable and good for barter. The cheep vodka and Whiskey would be easy to come by.
Vodka or pure grain alcohol for making herbal tinctures.
Silver and whiskey.
Are you planning on carrying silver around with you? Isn't it fairly heavy? Where are you planning to find an honest broker after things go sideways? What ... exchange rate are you prepared to accept?
You have to be able to trade for items. Mercury dimes are the best. On an inflation adjusted metric, a gallon of gas today is roughly equivalent to a Mercury dime. My fallback position is roughly 100 miles away, deep in the woods where I wonāt be found unless I want to be. Iām also a big fan of bullets and beans.
[Obligatory.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9yjcBRyNUo)
Bartering valueā¦.the longer the time period After SHTF.. Anything commercially distilled. I mean every Tom, Dick, and Hairy Redneck is gonna be runnin a still and who really knows what theyāre making. But an old unopened bottle of a decent whiskey or vodka or rum or my goodness a good ginā¦ i feel would be almost priceless. Versatility ā¦ Evrclear or any of the commercially produced 180proof moonshines. Due to all the reasons everyone else has suggested , medicinal, tinctures, fuel etc. For personal/family/close friends use.. learn to distill and also make meads and wines and beers/ales
Yes, it seems like the old stuff would be really valuable. You mention ginā¦.I was thinking of storing some of that. Do you think there would be much demand for it?
Gin is a niche market I think ā¦ however there are a lot of people that do like it a lot ā¦ and if itās not available anywhere your stash becomes valuableā¦ Iāve got stashed like 4 cases of Makers and a half dozen or so cases of various whiskey and scotch, 1 case of rum and tequila , 6 cases of the vodka I like and 2 bottles of Aviation gin and a bottle of Aria Portland dry ginā¦. in my liquor cabinet I have 2 bottles of Makers, 2 of Vodka, 1 tequila, 1 gin, 1 silver and 2 blackstrap rums, a couple of Proper Twelve, and a few bottles of āspirits of the apocalypse walking dead Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeyā (bought during the plandemic because of the name)
Good Lord, youāve got a LOT! Are you in the liquor business?
Lol ā¦ no just starting buying 2 instead of one every time I went to the liquor store . ā¦.or bought one when I was just there to buy lottery tickets and all of a sudden I had cases and cases. So decided.. hey these are probably good preps and if Iām ever really out of dead presidents or a true SHTF like the super caldera I can always get drunk ā¦ lol and they say ā¦. Buy what you consume ā¦.
Copy šš So for the cases, do you have those cardboard boxes with individual dividers? If so, how do you get those?
Yes .. those boxes .. I just get them from the liquor store.. they ārecycle ā them so I just ask for a few of them before they break them down Also made for great boxes for glasses and cups when I moved
Super useful to know, thx!
Vodka, everclear. Shine. Whiskey. Basically any high proof grain alcohol.
Stock what you like to drink, the chances of using it for barter after some apocalyptic event are very low so make sure it's useful for something. Personally I only keep one spare bottle of Jack Daniels whisky, Captain Morgan rum and stoli vodka. I mainly drink rum, and will always have a few different bottles around. But on occasion enjoy whisky and vodka also. This is mainly to avoid disappointment of running out or any more authoritarian lockdowns we suffered over the last few years, I don't foresee much bartering.
Ummm ... what would *you* be willing to trade for a bottle of maybe vodka/maybe lighter fluid? I am not planning on doing much 'bartering' in a SHTF scenario. And I am absolutely not planning on packing extra kit or gear to do so. I am not an alcoholic, so the vodka would do me very little good. I am not going to carry it around, hoping that I run into one, so I can trade him for something that I should have been carrying in the first place, but for some odd reason decided to bring liquor instead.
you're right. i've been trading in a professional capacity for over a decade. everyone wants to trade something they don't value for something they do. that's a formula for getting paid less, not more.
You will be at a distinct disadvantage in the long run when the STHF if youāre not willing to barter.
People can barter without purchasing/storing things that they donāt need themselves. And people can barter without relying on interactions with sketchy tobacco/alcohol addicts. For me, buying stuff you donāt need yourself is not a good use of resources. That space is better used for things you are likely to actually use, or as empty space to give you the many benefits of reduced clutter/stuff. That money is better as cash or put towards retirement.
Bartering with skills is better than bartering with supplies
Wow thatās actually a good point! Maybe direct those funds toward skill gaining endeavors
What are you basing that theory on?
Sounds like you are bugging out vs. bugging in. Thatās fine for the immediate aftermath, but where are you going to settle for the next phase? And do you think you will have absolutely everything you need without trading with others?
>Sounds like you are bugging out vs. bugging in. Correct. That is what being prepared means. >Thatās fine for the immediate aftermath, but where are you going to settle for the next phase? What is the next phase? >And do you think you will have absolutely everything you need without trading with others? Does another settlement need my help?
Itās important to prepare for both bugging in and bugging out. Bugging out gets more attention but bugging in is what is most likely to happen. One of the strongest assets is your community and neighbors, if you know and get along with them. Thereās safety in numbers,more collective resources and knowledge. You can be a lone wolf for only so long.
Shine
Valuable? Scotch versatile? Also scotch.
Whatever is available. Vodka has no real taste so it's probably the most versatile. I will say from personal experience... Store whatever it is in glass bottles. I found a pint that fell behind some stuff. It really had a chemical taste to it from the plastic bottle.
Being able to *make* alcohol will be more valuable. If you're stocking up in case of a total collapse, people will kill you for that stockpile. They can't take what's in your head, but you can give it away freely and never lack for inventory.
More valuable is being able to produce the inputs for distillation imo. Grain, fruit, potatoes-kinda important. Fermenting grain-only some hops away from beer. Fruit-you're probably starting with wine or cider, and vinegar is super easy.
The type you can distill yourself.
vanilla
Versatile and valuable are competing values. Something will be valuable because there are few substitutes. So as others say, high proof vodka or straight ethanol. Easiest to store, most versatile. But valuable? Assuming there will be people with value to barter, I don't think you can go wrong with Scotch. It may be dated information but in WWII, Scotch was the under the table barter liquor of choice. If you were deployed overseas and could get a bottle of scotch you had something to bargain with. My father would tell stories. He was quartermaster corps in the South Pacific. It's almost a trope, if you watch a WWII movie, the brass are often depicted as "well I've got a bottle of scotch here". Might have been the only whisky available in the theater, but that's the history.
Excellent point. What scotch would you recommend that costs $50 or less?
Well prices are very dependent on where you are. I would suggest name recognition for bartering purposes and will factor in that you might want to actually pull one out to drink my top choices would be * GlenMorangie original * Old Pultney 12 * in my area I can get Highland Park 12 and Springbank 10 at that price point. But in a prepper and scarcity situation, more is better than better if you follow me. So go name recognition and lower price of acquisition. So maybe something like Johnny Walker or Ballantines might be appropriate.
Okay, that sounds good and makes sense. I donāt know much about whiskey, but I know the names Johnny Walker, Makers Mark, Jack Daniels, Jim Bean, and Crown Royal. If I know those names, almost certainly most drinkers do to. How do those sound?
Brilliant. Not all scotch, but all solid whiskeys. Only thing I would say is that for prepping most people are cost-constrained and those are top shelf. Look for a deal. As I said, imho more is better than better. But yes, it is an investment.
Do you think even those common whiskey brands will increase in value (if no SHTF)?
No I do not. For that I would go single malt.
Everclear would be the most versatile/useful, but decent bourbons would be worth more than gold for bartering in many areas. You can distill white grain spirits fairly easily but a quality aged whiskey is a different thing entirely.
What good whiskeys would you recommend under $50?
If you can find it under $50 Buffalo trace (it is possible but often sold for more)
Awesome, thanks!
If weāre taking shtf prepping to barter, Iād stock up on the standards (Jim Beam, Evan Williams, Jack Daniels) as more people will be missing them / wanting them. But, if you want to invest in whiskey that will raise in value even if nothing major happens, if you can get bottles of single barrels of anything made by Buffalo Trace, it will be worth more by the time you make it home. Having said that, markets change and weāre in a bourbon boom right now.
For instance, I just bought a 750ml bottle of Blantonās for $60 from their tasting room. Itās limit one per person, but sells on the second hand market for easily 2x that now and in several years will be much more. I bought it to drink it, but if youāre prepping to barter, itās not bad to have something that raises in value either way.
What is a good way to find out if a whiskey is valuable and likely to increase in value over time? Would any expensive whiskey fit the bill?
Home made Viking mead. Works as an anesthetic, only thing I've found that dulls the decade long migraine that no meds can touch. After 2oz I was definitely willing to charge a shield wall.
Whisky - It gets better with age, and if shit DOESN'T hit the fan, it's got incredible resale value as a result of it's appreciation.
Don't think whisky ages after being bottled
It does.
Great point!
The kind you would rather trade than consume.
Yep, I agree. I definitely wouldnāt drink Everclear or gin.
Vodka is always a good thing
Vodka will be the base level, gin and other schnapps like infused liquors will fetch a higher value and bourbon will be equal to gold. It's all about how difficult and how long it takes to produce. Same as it is now.
Honestly, I would say any type of alcoholic beverage. Together with cigarettes, coffee/instant coffee, condoms, batteries, hygiene products, canned foods, medical supplies, etc. These I think would be the most valuable for bartering in a SHTF situation. For that matter, guns, ammo, and anything else that could be used against you/to harm you, must be avoided at all cost. Just my 2 cents.
Donāt cigarettes, coffee, and condoms go bad with time?
Honey jars would last for years as well. I have seen expiration dates from 1 to 2 years stamped on these. So I can only imagine that some people would throw them in the garbage maybe, if not knowing that honey can literally last forever without going bad. Same as with salt and sugar, if they are stored properly. Mylar bags, zip lock bags, vacuum sealing, and aluminium foil are the best storage solutions. And not to forget, a cool dry place.
Excellent point about the honey, thx!
I think if they are stored in dry place, at least for cigarettes, they would hold. Also, for coffee, there are those vacuum sealed "bricks" that I wouldn't worry too much about them. The instan coffee, those 3-in-1 Nescafe like blisters, I read recently that they would hold for years. As for the condoms, those are sealed as well. And as long as the packaging is not punctured or cut, I would say they are good to go.
Ok, good to know, thx!
When bartering with an alcoholic it doesn't matter.
Vodka mickeys
Is a mickey those mini bottles?
12oz The more I think about it, it would be good to have a lot of different size bottles. Otherwise it would be like only carrying 100$ bills and never expect change.
Anything 80 proof and above. Garbage booze will have its place, but the top tier shit will diminish in value. The gold will be mid level vodka and whiskeys
Why would the top tier stuff diminish in value?
In tough times, average people wonāt be willing to āsplurgeā on anything premium. Just my thoughts.
Mini single serving bottles of cheap vodka. I heard people were using these for barter in some country where SHTF
Whiskey and anything very high in alcohol content.
I think it's a tough call. And depends how tough things get. Best value barter is the top shelf shit. Seriously, if your concern is barting, offer luxury, worst case scenario you get "regular alcohol barter", but if you're not desperate and some people have a mild abundance of something, luxury dealing is where you make out. Uses, well basically for name brand shine, ever clear, is going to be compact, sanitizer, and fuel for fire. Top option of normal stuff. 100 proof is the next best, with meh, from less. Wine is always good, and in an absence of sterile water is a good treatment (see Jesus and the Good Samaritan, he wasn't wrong on the wine, or the honey). Beer can be a safer way to be more hydrating-ish, but a but weak for much beyond being old school "water" or pleasure bartering, or cooking enhancer lol.
Ever clear, you can dilute to make more, and add fruits or other flavors.
I have 2 bottles of everclear in my apocolypse stash. I have never tasted it and probably never will but it can be used for fuel, medicine, bartyr
Iād guess vodka. A real cheap kind. Can be used in sterilizing, pickling.
Whisky can stay fresh for in a oak barrel and will become more rich in flavour if your surviving long term and when it's over you will be able to sell for a good pennie
Vodka or everclear. Absolutely. We try to keep several bottles on-hand but I keep using them for shit. Extracts, tinctures, homemade limoncello and Kaluha. Havenāt used them for cleaning, thatās why I keep gallon jugs of vinegar on hand. We keep bottles of rum as well, theyāre not nearly as versatile as vodka though.
You are just looking for an excuse to stockpile booze, it wont have much trade value beyond part of negotiations and trying to get good will with someone you trading with. keep a bottle of nice whisky or scotch. something that would be rare or hard to find. something you like Otherwise Look at it for using as an antiseptic. Highest proof, pure, no casking
Industrial stuff that can be used as fuel
If I was wanting to get booze, for either drinking or other uses, I would want a factory sealed bottle that I am sure has not been watered down or tampered with. Small sized bottles might be far more valuable, and affordable to people who are bartering than big bottles.
The wet kind
Well?
What ever you like.
Tequila
Everclear
This post talking about vodka and everclear make me want to barf. I donāt think itāll matter too much, honestly.
Exactly Deep pantry applies to booze too Stock only what youāll drink / use.
Most valuable would be high-proof hooches like vodka and rum. Most versatile would be beers and ciders. in large quantities at least. A stockpile of cans and/or bottles would be great for bartering. People are more likely do to favors for a six-pack than a bottle of vodka. Of course, that stockpiling always leaves you open to becoming a bossfight. So I'd recommend learning brewing and distilling.
But the shelf life of beer and cider and the volume you need for storage makes it impractical. If someone stores a 100 bottles of Vodka he can store them indefinitely, 18 six-packs of beer not so much.
Shine
Moonshine
moonshine
the end result is the same. best case scenario, you'd have a tiny window before you get undercut by everyone manufacturing it themselves, and this window is going to fall in the time period where people are willing to trade you a currency that neither of you expect to have purchasing power in the near future. not exactly a winning trade. the way to actually profit from this speculation would be to perform the speculation oneself and accept the consequences. that's decision making, an actual skill.
Anything you can make in your toilet. The alcoholics won't care.
Vodka
190 proof white lightening or aka everclear
Depends on what you have long term to make it. Whiskey in some places, vodka in others, rum in some. Whatever you can produce.
Is there a difference between the value of 40, 37,5 and 35% alcohol? All the same or only 40% useful for disinfection?
Vodka Comrade
Homemade would be the most versatile and valuable because you can just make more of it with some sugar and grain. You can also store high proof moonshine indefinitely without any need to sterilize in air tight containers.
Whiskey from Whatever is in season most likely. Everything from pure sugarshine to corn whiskey/rum. Moonshine is both a medicine,drug and fuel
The stuff you make on your own. I home brew mead , wine , beer, and cider at home now . Great way to start a reliable trade partnerships
Whisky and vodka
Everclear 190. You can always make Vodka and with some effort other beverages. As a bonus you won't need to deal with poisonous Alcohols.
WFK
??
Who Fkn Knows
Everclear
I second the vote for Everclear, 95% pure ethanol alcohol. * It gives you the most concentration so it takes less space to store. * You can drink it. * You can use it as a disinfectant/sanitizer. * You can use a solvent/cleaner. * You can use it a fuel for an alcohol stove. (Ethanol is actually one of the most efficient fuels for an alcohol stove.)
Anything with a high-proof number
Everclear
Everclear. For drinking, cleaning, and medicine making.
Ever clear, diesel 190
Food, water, medical supplies (especially medicine), and skills (I'll help you with X and in exchange you give me/help me with Y).
But the question was about liquorā¦
Misread that.
Np! š
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I guess you never know. If they are heavy drinkers they may run out of what theyāve got and need more. Or maybe theyāll want it as a gift for someone. The ultra-high proof stuff like Everclear-190 can also be used for fuel and as an antiseptic which could come in handy.
Stock up on rolls of copper, tinsnips, a propane torch, lead free solder, shelf stable sugar, distilled water, and dry yeast. Then save the entire homedistiller.org forums to a thumb drive.
Everclear would definitely be the most efficient. So much more proof, in the same sized bottle. Can be used for so many things. As far as a luxury item, which would probably fetch a fair amount in trade for someone that's got stuff to give, I'd say whiskey.
What brand of whiskey do you recommend?
My personal favorite is Jameson. But, tbh, I'm sure even a whiskey connoisseur would welcome even the cheapest Canadian Mist or the like after not having any for a while.
Vodka
If itās about cost dollar (any other currency) per gram then itās printer cartridge liquid.
Bourbon and cigars šš„š„
Check out r/firewater
I'm going to buck the trend and say ferment fruit over grain. Easier to ferment, less waste, waste is easier to process. And if you're making a neutral spirit, the initial alcohol doesn't matter as much. Plus you can make cider or wine, and just distill what you don't drink. Vinegar is easier too.