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!
l love my drink, leave some to me
Just go to big liquor stores and buy cheap stuff on sale. No one it’s going to be asking for Absolut shots in shtf situations. Booze is booze. They sell plastic bottles of stuff really cheap. Rum, vodka, gin and whiskey. Load up on that.
sorry but 100% incorrect – know your clientele – if you are after the country club set and their Richie Rich bartering you’ll need to be in their league – top shelf hootch ….
if you believe in sustained wealth and that precious metals/gems/antiques will retain value – you’ll be bartering for a Rolex and a diamond tennis bracelet – and being successful – they’ll be trading to maintain their pleasures ….
38 years in a beer and wine package store before we sold out the poor would trade rolls of silver dimes quarters halfs and silver $ at face value for drink and smokes knowing what they had
other stores did not see franklin halfs walking liberty half dollar barber head dimes mercury dimes all silver money as money back then or 1920s silver $ back then, we did
In a SHTF situation the high class clientele will be dead and rotting in the streets or in a bunker away from you. Booze is booze and Richie Rich will be a corpse or gone. Some people don’t seem to understand survival of the fittest…
Speaking of stocking up on alcohol –
The California fires devastated much of the grape crop. Buy wine now, in large quantities, because there is likely to be a shortage coming.
I haven’t drunk alcohol for 17 years and it forms no part of my preps.
in the event of SHTF I want a clear head for all the things I will have to do.
I don’t drink alcohol either but it will be used in a medical way. Think vodka for replacement in cleaning wounds etc. (rubbing alcohol has a short shelf life) Trade is a great use also.
Why yes, I do make my own wine. The recipe is fine. I use 1/2 gallon juice bottles to ferment and finish the wine. They are smaller and easier to handle. No one wants to think about a 5 gallon spill. And, one bottle may go bad. No one wants 5 gallons of red wine vinegar.
Make a starter. Warm the yeast to about 100F. Slowly stir yeast into 1 cup warm water. Stir for 5 minutes. Add this to 1 quart of grape juice. Shake vigorously several times over the next hour. Let it sit for 12 to 24 hours. Add the starter to your grape/sugar mix.
Over the next 24 hours, vigorously shake the bottles. After 24 hours DO NOT SHAKE THE BOTTLES. Leave caps loose, to allow gas to escape. After 3 weeks rack into clean bottles. When it is clear, looks likes dark red Kool-ade, it’s done. Chill. Enjoy.
I don’t use any chemicals, to clear or preserve the wine. That’s just me. Here’s a link to one of the best wine resources I’ve come across. Anything you want to know, it’s here.
Keep a supply of the strongest Vodka or grain spirits like “Everclear” for cleaning mouth and facial wounds. Incidental ingestion of these (ethyl alcohol/ethanol) won’t poison the patient.
Your article stopped short of saying which liquors are the best to stockpile. What we want to know, and would take some research, is whether consumers are more likely to want bourbon whiskey, scotch whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, or whatever. Nobody is going to be trading liquers or vermouth. And nobody is going to be trading with rich people because they usually aren’t going to be preppers and they are going to be dead.
I’ve been bartering since the Vietnam War, and in California Tequila gold is priceless. I don’t drink it, but knowing how to barter with it should be second nature to you before we have a disaster. It’s like practicing with anything else during these end times. One 5th of Tequila removed my dead tree in my front yard. Practicing helps get bold with your bartering.
Interesting post… I’m a die-hard Prepper and always wanting to learn more…
I stockpile mini bottles. Always glass, because plastic starts to break down over time and leach chemicals in to your liquor. I’ve chosen mini bottles so it’s easier to barter with.
Forget the food, survival skills and the like, a shot of Jack will get you through.
Is there a re-approach for non drinkers?
Again, Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness? Long term? Thank you