Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness?

[Sentry18]

Liquor for Preppers: Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness?
Robert Richardson Food & Water, Survival 12


During a long-term disaster situation, liquor will be a precious resource. From bartering and economic reasons to health and medicinal uses, alcohol is one of those items that should be part of any good preparedness stockpile.

5 Preparedness Reasons for Stockpiling Alcohol

Liquor for Bartering
When things go wrong, people are going to be looking for an escape. Even a cheap bottle of alcohol could have tremendous value during a crash. Desperate people will be willing to trade just about anything for a chance to escape their situation. Alcohol is one of those items that there will always be a market for and one of those things that people will always need.
Liquor for your Health
A whiskey a day keeps the doctor away. Even during prohibition, Whiskey was legal to import because it was considered a medicine. In fact, whiskey, when consumed in moderation, can have many health benefits. And when you’re battling a cold or allergies, alcohol can dilate your blood vessels, making it easier for mucus membranes to deal with the infection.

Whiskey, Honey, and Lemon make an excellent cough suppressant.

Liquor as a Stress Reliever
While drinking yourself into a stupor isn’t going to help you survive anything, being able to take the edge off during a stressful situation is something that can go a long way to ensuring your mental health.
Liquor as an Antiseptic/Cleaner
Liquor with a high enough alcohol content can be used in a wide variety of cleaning and first-aid applications. Just make sure the alcohol content is above 60%.
Liquor for Preservation
Not only is liquor called for in a number of recipes, but it can be used to preserve herbs, fruits, and plants. Soaking herbs in alcohol like vodka or rum can make tinctures or extracts, making them more efficient and longer lasting.
How long does stockpiled Booze last?

Spirits last the longest – in most cases they will last indefinitely.
How long your liquor lasts depends on what type of booze you’re stockpiling. In general, spirits with a higher alcohol content will generally last the longest amount of time. In fact, most spirits will last indefinitely – although their flavors may change over time.
Liqueurs are a little bit trickier.
In general, you shouldn’t have to worry about spoilage if the alcohol content is around 17% or above. The exception to this rule is any type of cream liqueur. Most cream liqueurs will have a shelf life stamped on the bottle, so keep that in mind when stocking up on liqueurs like Baileys.
Wines and Vermouths
Most wine is meant to be opened within 12-18 months of purchase; once opened it rapidly starts to go bad. If unopened and stored right, at about 55-60 degrees, wine can last for about 5-10 years.
Beers are on the bottom of the list
It pains me to say this, but beer is going to be the first thing to go. Most beer will last for about 6-9 months beyond dates on the label, but anything beyond that you are going to be tasting some nasty stuff.
Don’t ever run out of Booze: Learn to Make your Own

Since we are talking about prepping, nothing says being prepared like having the ability to make your own homemade liquors and wines. While I’m partial to moonshine, that takes a little more work and equipment than the average person probably has on hand. But nothing is stopping you from brewing up a good ol’ batch of Hillybilly Wine!
Drop-Dead Easiest Homemade Wine Recipe:
There are a million and one homemade wine recipes out there, so I’m not going to share every single way to make it, just one drop-dead easy way that will get you started. Once you learn the process, you can experiment and start making your own fruit juices.
What you need:

• 5 – 64 oz bottles of grape juice. Heat to 115F in a big ass pot (don’t go beyond that or you will kill the yeast, you just want it warm enough to dissolve the sugar).
• Add about 6 ¼ cups of sugar and mix
• Pour into a large container
• Add one pack of wine yeast – you can also use regular baking yeast
• Gently Stir and cover with a towel; rubber band the towel around the bottle and let it sit for five days.
• On the fifth day siphon the liquid into another clean container and place an airlock on the bottle and let it sit for another 14 days (the airlock keeps bacteria out of the bottle while letting the gas out at the same time). Repeat this step of the process one more time and let sit for another 14 days. This helps you get a cleaner wine and keeps all the crap at the bottom of the old container.
• Drink up!

https://offgridsurvival.com/prepperliquor/

 

[Patchouli]

Personally, I don't drink alcohol for any reason but used to drink for no reason and every reason.
It would be a good thing for me to have it on hand to make any herbal formulas or tinctures but I never remember to purchase it. There is a formula I take that has brandy in it, only a teaspoon a day. But I forget most days.
Home breweries have gotten popular again. My grandfather, as a sheriff, had stories about the moonshiners in the hills of Virginny.

 

[Morgan101]

We have a significant amount of hard liquor in our preps. O.K. I admit I have an even more significant amount in my bar. drink buddySome already know I was a bartender in a previous life, and I really enjoyed it.

Liquor as an Antiseptic/Cleaner
Liquor with a high enough alcohol content can be used in a wide variety of cleaning and first-aid applications. Just make sure the alcohol content is above 60%.

You will be hard pressed to find any liquor with an alcohol content of 60% or more. Most hard liquor will be between 40-50% alcohol. On the label you will see a number for the Proof; 80 proof; 86 proof; 100 proof. The proof number is double the alcohol content.

Whiskey, Honey, and Lemon make an excellent cough suppressant.

This is the common recipe for a Hot Toddy.

Technically Vermouths are Wines. Keep them long enough, and they will turn into vinegar. Dry vermouth is a very bad white wine. Sweet vermouth is a very bad red wine.

If I was going to recommend one kind I would recommend Vodka. It has the fewest impurities, and is the closest to ethanol. I keep a couple of airline size bottles in my IFAK.

Anybody who wants some interesting recipes is free to ask.

 

[Supervisor42]

Liquor for Preppers: Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness?
Crown Royal... because I'm worth it

.
I'd only need it if the beer supply is interrupted, which rarely happens.
It would also have the most barter power because the majority of drinkers like it.
Stressing out? A couple of stiff drinks will remedy that.
Can't get to sleep? The word "nightcap" hasn't been around for over a hundred years if it didn't work.

Oh, Crown Royal also has unlimited shelf-life in storage, (unless friends come to visit)

.

If SHTF, I'd much rather see someone wanting to trade with that in their hand than some silly gold coins.

 

[Morgan101]

Crown Royal... because I'm worth it

.

I don't know. This is scary territory. This is like arguing 9mm vs. 45 ACP. Or worse, which child do you love the most?

 

[angie_nrs]

I never had crown royal. Might have to give it a sip......or maybe I shouldn't.

I stock some 80 proof, but mostly 100 proof vodka for medical uses and tinctures. I've never drank any of that either.

I do store some UV blue. Raspberry UV blue vodka mixed with lemonade or raspberry mix is awesome! I have lots of powdered crystal light lemonade mix (and raspberry mix) in storage too. It hits the spot on a hot summer day. But, I only store glass bottles long term. They do make some UV blue in the plastic bottles....those I put in the camper b/c I know that they won't make it to long term storage. LOL! I mix up some of the above drinks for guests when we camp and have yet to run into anyone who didn't like it.

 

[Morgan101]

I never had crown royal. Might have to give it a sip......or maybe I shouldn't

One of Canada's finest. It is a Rye blend. I don't think you would be disappointed.

 

[Supervisor42]

I never had crown royal. Might have to give it a sip......or maybe I shouldn't.

Yes, you should stay very far away from it (more for us ).
WHATEVER YOU DO, do NOT take a glass 1/4th full of C/R, add ice, fill it the rest of the way up with real Coke, stir, and add a straw! It's horrible!

... They do make some UV blue in the plastic bottles....those I put in the camper b/c I know that they won't make it to long term storage. LOL! I mix up some of the above drinks for guests when we camp and have yet to run into anyone who didn't like it.

Learned something new today.

...I now know where the term "happy-camper" came from.

 

[Meerkat]

To begin with any liquor that is not in a plastic bottle, plastic only proves they aren't thinking about quility but saving on the glass.

 

[Morgan101]

WHATEVER YOU DO, do NOT take a glass 1/4th full of C/R, add ice, fill it the rest of the way up with real Coke, stir, and add a straw! It's horrible!

Holy Mother!! Anybody who would ruin good liquor like that should be drawn and quartered. Pour it over ice. Maybe yet, just one ice cube. That's a drink.

 

[Meerkat]

Liquor for Preppers: Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness?
Crown Royal... because I'm worth itView attachment 41125.
I'd only need it if the beer supply is interrupted, which rarely happens.
It would also have the most barter power because the majority of drinkers like it.
Stressing out? A couple of stiff drinks will remedy that.
Can't get to sleep? The word "nightcap" hasn't been around for over a hundred years if it didn't work.

Oh, Crown Royal also has unlimited shelf-life in storage, (unless friends come to visit)View attachment 41128.

If SHTF, I'd much rather see someone wanting to trade with that in their hand than some silly gold coins.

Mr.Meer just finished off one of those lastweek, the other one is mine in case I need it.Plus a bottle of VO in a real bottle made of glass.I don't like Jack Danials its too harsh. Not a fan of whiskeyy,like beer and good wine like Boones Farm Strawberry Hill,JK.
when we could afford it.

 

[Supervisor42]

Mr.Meer just finished off one of those lastweek, the other one is mine in case I need it.Plus a bottle of VO in a real bottle made of glass...

Yes, and you can vouch for their barter power.
Dangle either one in front of the Mr, and you can make him do anything, even change a head-gasket on a Nissan Z24

.
Powerful stuff!!!

 

[Frodo]

The best liker to hold onto for preps is something called Ever-clear 180 proof
You can blend it with water to get 2 bottles of 90 proof from one of 180 [or less]
you can use it as a disinfectant in a medical situation
you can use it to barter

In my opinion, the good stuff is a waste to hang onto .. unless it is for personal useafacation

 

[Bacpacker]

We stock Vodka and White Rum (no dark or spicy rums) for medicinals, making vanilla, etc.

I don't drink very often, but I do enjoy a glass of E&J Brandy over a ice cube or 3 after a long hard Saturday working around here. About the only other drinks I care for are Margaritas with Mexican food, or a good strong Long Island Tea. (Morgan, I'd love a recipe for making those). Angie the drink you described sounds good for a campground/campfire setting.

As far as bartering, folks that need liquor that bad aren't gonna have anything I'd need to trade. They spent their money drinkin years before. Plus having drunks running around in bad times will lead to no good outcome IMO.

 

[Meerkat]

The best liker to hold onto for preps is something called Ever-clear 180 proof
You can blend it with water to get 2 bottles of 90 proof from one of 180 [or less]
you can use it as a disinfectant in a medical situation
you can use it to barter

In my opinion, the good stuff is a waste to hang onto .. unless it is for personal useafacation

I never heard of that one is that the name of it?

 

[tazo2503]

WHATEVER YOU DO, do NOT take a glass 1/4th full of C/R, add ice, fill it the rest of the way up with real Coke, stir, and add a straw!

Anything more than two ice cubes in the glass is a waste of good space...

 

[Supervisor42]

I never heard of that one is that the name of it?

Yes. 190 proof:

In the red part of the label are several warnings. One saying how flammable it is; it's more flammable than gasoline

.

 

[CountryGuy]

The lovely state of PA owns all our liquor stores and has chosen that we citizens can not have the Everclear 190 here anymore, all you can get, and you can't get it in all the stores, is the Everclear 151 (75.5%). I have that along with various vodka's some for making things (tinctures, vanilla flavoring, Limocello) and some for drinking. I also have a few bottles of bourbon, whiskey and scotch around along with some cordials and rums. And I keep yeast in my beer fridge in the garage. I have several types on hand for making hard cider and for making meads. We also keep a decent amount of bread yeast around so in a pinch could do that and make some jail cell wine.

I disagree with the original post on the beer. I've had beer stored for a long time with no issues. Some in the fridge like 2 years and also I stored some in the basement 1.5 yrs. Now these were in brown glass bottles and those in the basement were bought warm, not refrigerated prior to stashing them. They also were German oktoberfests and marzens - Paulaner, Warfsteiner, Spaten and Hacker-Pschorr but I also had some of my beloved Yuengling's Octoberfest for about a year. In the fridge I had a few precious bottles of Kentucky Bourbon Ale I'd occasionally treat myself to and I doled those out close to 2 years and the taste seemed unaffected to me. Now my FIL gets a 30 pack of Miller Lite and that crap is about to blow up on opening after 6 months in the fridge. I don't know what it is but that stuff you crack the top and it's instant foaming.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

We only keep vodka on hand to make our own vanilla extract and speaking of that I need to get some more to top up the containers of extract I have made and get some more going. We use a lot of vanilla extract for cooking.

Neither of us drink alcohol though being teetotalers.

It only has a 40% alcohol content though.

 

[Homesteader33]

our local brewery is offering pickup at their driveway and making deliveries as well, I personally don't drink beer always thought it tastes terrible. I do like a drink of irish whiskey and on hot days I like blueberry vodka in lemonade but I have 1 or 2 at the most!

 

[Frodo]

I never heard of that one is that the name of it?

yes, that is the name of it
It has been around a long time and has a bad boy reputation. because it is 190 proof
It is illegal in some US states so the company made 189 proof and 140 proof
to get around that law.

 

[Morgan101]

In my opinion, the good stuff is a waste to hang onto .. unless it is for personal useafacation

Everclear has a purpose, many of which you described, and should be part of everyone's preps. The "Good Stuff" should be kept for barter. All of the survival stories I have read, many from Bosnia, put liquor near the top of list of the things most wanted.

 

[Frodo]

Everclear has a purpose, many of which you described, and should be part of everyone's preps. The "Good Stuff" should be kept for barter. All of the survival stories I have read, many from Bosnia, put liquor near the top of list of the things most wanted.

The local likker store reported anything over 100 proof was bought out in the first couple of days of the toilet paper pandemic .
all the 40/80 proof was still on the shelves. that bit of info speaks volumes

 

[Meerkat]

Yes. 190 proof:

In the red part of the label are several warnings. One saying how flammable it is; it's more flammable than gasolineView attachment 41162.

Thanks SuperV.

 

[ssonb]

My mother in law one time got a shock when she mixed some of MY crown with Moutain dew???!!! Ice cube and water at the most!!!

 

[Mr.Meer]

Liquor for Preppers: Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness?
Crown Royal... because I'm worth itView attachment 41125.
I'd only need it if the beer supply is interrupted, which rarely happens.
It would also have the most barter power because the majority of drinkers like it.
Stressing out? A couple of stiff drinks will remedy that.
Can't get to sleep? The word "nightcap" hasn't been around for over a hundred years if it didn't work.

Oh, Crown Royal also has unlimited shelf-life in storage, (unless friends come to visit)View attachment 41128.

If SHTF, I'd much rather see someone wanting to trade with that in their hand than some silly gold coins.

I drank one of these over the last couple months, a couple shots here and there or now and then. Its a smooth drink that works.

 

[Morgan101]

My mother in law one time got a shock when she mixed some of MY crown with Moutain dew???!!! Ice cube and water at the most!!!

No jury in the land would convict you if you shot her dead. (just kidding). Hide the CR when she is around.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have rum that I bought in Puerto Rico more than a decade ago. Bottles have never been opened. I also have Vodka for vanilla extract. I keep thinking I should go get a bottle of Everclear, but that was one of the things one of my cousins got for h.s. graduation and he finished it off before the night was over. He is a recovering alcoholic. I am not a drinker. I do like to have some alcohol for cooking, but what I have learned is that unless it is locked up and unknown to others, it will disappear.

 

[Morgan101]

unless it is locked up and unknown to others, it will disappear.

Well, at least keep it locked up when your cousin is around. If he drank a bottle of Everclear the night of his HS graduation he is lucky to be alive. Stash it in the back of the pantry with other cooking and baking supplies. No one will know it is there.

 

[Meerkat]

I have rum that I bought in Puerto Rico more than a decade ago. Bottles have never been opened. I also have Vodka for vanilla extract. I keep thinking I should go get a bottle of Everclear, but that was one of the things one of my cousins got for h.s. graduation and he finished it off before the night was over. He is a recovering alcoholic. I am not a drinker. I do like to have some alcohol for cooking, but what I have learned is that unless it is locked up and unknown to others, it will disappear.

Replace water with vodka when making pie crust, flour,butter or shortening and vodka,very flaky pie crust.