For someone who do doesn't drink

"Others addictions and dependencies isn't your problem. If they have something you want, and you trade them something they want, it's a far trade"

You and I might have the rationality to agree that it's "a fair trade".

Someone who is suffering from an addiction or dependency might not see it that way, and could decide to make it your problem, as Purplekitty suggests.

I am homebrewer as well. In addition to 4 bottles of scotch, a couple bottles of bourbon, and 5 or 6 bottles of tequila, there's a dozen bottles of mead I made myself hanging around the house. Plum, peach, blackberry, all from fruit I grew on my own property.....in the middle of the city.

And when it's gone.... I'm cool with that. I just don't want to take a risk dealing with people who don't feel that way. FWIW, I smoke cigars too. But I wouldn't want to be in the cigarette business after TEOTWAWKI, either.

Addiction and morals aside, if it's not something you would ever use personally, I think you are better served buying more food or ammo.

rio nueces said:

Heck, storing alcohol if you don't drink is the only way you can store it.
If you catch my drift.
I would suggest the plastic 50 ml 'airplane' bottles. Several will fit right in your pocket, light, make no noise.
Vodka. 80 proof. Get them singly for as little as 80 cents. I've never priced the big boxes but maybe as little as 40
cents each that way?
Alkies won't care if they can't get their favorite.
Although not in the 50 ml containers Everclear would be great - it also makes a safe and hot fuel for alcohol stoves like the Trangia. Get the 190 proof if you can.
I've no doubt you could trade alcohol for ammo, guns, food, tools, whatever during crunch time.
Just mind the rules of the black market, treat your customer with respect, deal honestly, be safe.

And then of course there's Kurt Saxon...

http://www.survivalplus.com/philosophy/THE-ART-OF-MAKING-ALCOHOL.htm

http://www.survivalplus.com/selected/Making-Your-Own-Booze-Part-II.htm

Storage long term...

https://www.thespruce.com/shelf-life-of-distilled-spirits-760730

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Kurt Saxon NEVER made liquor. He got it partly right--the malting of the corn is correct, the addition of sugar is unnecessary. Mash made from grain is technically beer. It's about 5-6% alcohol. His one gallon of mash wouldn't produce more than 6-8 ounces of pure liquor. The time needed to ferment the mash would be 10 days or so, depending upon the ambient temperature. That's lot of time and effort for 3 shots. The first ounce or so out of the still will be toxic--a mixture of acetone and methyl alcohol. You can tell by the fragrance--it smells like acetone. That must be discarded. For time invested, with a 26 quart pressure cooker rigged as he says, with the ice bucket condenser (called a puke box in days of old) would convert 5 gallons of homemade wine into just over 1 gallon of pure liquor (Brandy). To get it pure, it will have to go through the still 3 times. It will be tasteless and liquid fire to drink. Best way is to get a hydrometer (got ours from Edmund Scientific in the 1960's when I and my ******* high school buddies decided to make liquor). In this case, you would capture the first 6-8 ounces out of the still to discard, then, using your hydrometer in the glass jar that catches the liquor as it exits the condenser save and separate the next quart or so--it will read 125-135 proof. Everything that comes out when your hydrometer indicates the alcohol falls below 120 proof will have an off taste. Save it, but keep it separate from the the 120-135 proof stuff. You should get about 6 quarts more--and the hydrometer will show a decrease in alcohol content to about 5% (10 proof) until nothing comes more comes out. The still isn't empty, but the rest of the contents has no alcohol to speak of. Turn off the fire immediately and allow it to cool. When it cools, dump out your pressure cooker, rinse it, and take the entire second batch (the below 10-120 proof stuff) and pour it into the pressure cooker still and fire it up again. You can keep every drop that comes out this time--none toxic--and you'll get between 3-4 quarts of 170 proof product. Little flavor, liquid fire if consumed straight. We took the first batch of 125-135 proof stuff and added it to the 170 proof batch and blending, got a 140 proof final product. In some states you can get a home distiller's license. Some states not. We were teenagers and figured we were immune to federal prosecution--feds were too busy dealing with the explosion in drug sales and useage. Also, as stupid kids, we figured we were too smart to ever get caught. We NEVER sold or gave any away except by the swallow--and only to a very few selected friends/family--if anyone's parents had gotten wind lf what we were doing, we WOULD have been busted, if only by local cops. We made a half dozen or so batches during that year, but after graduating the following year, some of us went to college, others the army (Vietnam). Our "moonshining" days were over. Today, you can buy 750 ml of a California brandy for just over $10.00--when your 16, hard to get at any price. Still, I remember ours as being better...

7.5x55 Swiss said:

Would you think it'd still be a good idea to stock up on alcoholic drinks? I've read a lot of scenarios where alcohol might come in handy for bartering purposes, as a painkiller substitute, and I've even heard some people claim it's a decent substitute for rubbing alcohol.

How likely would a scenario where we go back to bartering for goods, specifically alcohol, rather than using some form of standardized currency be?

If you guys think it's worthwhile investing in alcoholic beverages, what should I invest in? I've got little knowledge of alcohol to begin with, other than generic terms for types of alcohol, like vodka, whiskey, ect. and a few of the big brand name beer and wine manufacturers. What would even be the best way to store them, just let them sit in my basement for 20 years?

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My basic response is: Yes

However, as has been pointed out, there are various ways to go about it. And there are risks of having it, and when bartering with it.

For a long term PAW having the equipment and knowledge to produce various types of alcohol for drinking, use as fuel, use medicinally, and for use in making medications would be the most advantageous. Beers and other brews, wines, liquors, liqueurs, mead, and a few other specialty alcohols would most likely all be good barter items. And, as societies begin to form again, there will most likely be establishments that will serve the drinks for a fee.

Of course, other that the basics will take a significant investment in equipment, supplies, and time. 30-year old Scotch does not become 30-year old Scotch in a few weeks.

Which, to me, means stocking up on the basics first: 190-proof Everclear primarily. It has been pointed out how useful it is. Medicinally, and when mixed with pretty much anything else, people that just must have liquor, will drink it. And a little goes a very long way.

There are two approaches to the storage. Small quantity packaging and large quantity packaging. Small bottles can be traded as is, but the initial cost is higher. Larger bottles are cheaper per ounce, but will need to be opened and the appropriate amount for the trade transferred to another container. This last has a couple of negative aspects. One is that once a bottle is opened it does begin to deteriorate. With most hard liquors not all that much. But others, much more so. Second is that there have to be those other containers available. Could be a major problem if you do not have them yourself. And getting them back could be a problem. See my posts on trade goods for ideas.

The choice of which additional alcohols to store also has a couple of options besides the size of the container. The cheapest, medium quality, high end. Also types. Vodka, gin, bourbon, Scotch, Tennessee sipping whiskey, rum, and the list goes on.

Now, personally, I buy standard size bottles (usually 750ml) of high end alcohols that I would (used to would) drink myself. The Everclear is for basic barter and trade. The high end stuff is for much later on, when things have settled down and there will be people well enough off to give something worthwhile for the good stuff. And as has been said, lubricating a deal with a drink has been known to be effective.

Here is what I am in the process of acquring:

Viking Blod Mead
Amareto DiSarrano
Frangelico
Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
DeKuyber Crème de Menthe, green
Yellow Chartreuse VEP
Irish Mist
Galliano
DeKuyber Butterscotch Schnapps
Rumpleminz Peppermint Schnapps
Barcardi coco rum
Jack Daniels Single Barrel Whiskey
Hirsch Selection 28 year bourbon
Hennessy Paradis Extra Cognac
El Dorado 25 year special reserve rum
Taylor Porto 40 year Tawny Port
Bailey’s Irish Cream

A few of them will not last nearly as long as some of the others. And I only included things that I like. Scotch, Irish Whiskey, rye, and some others could be added, but I just do not know as much about them.

Just my opinion.