Hi Jim,
I love SurvivalBlog! I have a question: I would like to store whiskey for bartering in SHTF. I thought of taking empty 187 ML (about 6 oz) wine bottles with screw caps, washing them, refilling with whiskey, placing a short wine cork in top, then screw cap, then wrap in Saran wrap to limit evaporation loss. I would then label bottles with content and date, and store for SHTF. How does this sound to you? Thanks, – Tom R.
JWR Replies: While I don’t approve of bartering whiskey, I must concede that many folks do see some utility in it. So, if you feel you must:
In my estimation, saving on the per-unit cost by buying booze in large containers and re-packaging it is false economy. Two of the keys to successful bartering are trustworthiness and readily recognizable products. You are far better off buying middle-grade American name brand whiskey (such as Jim Beam or Jack Daniels) in the distillery’s small, sealed single-serving 50 ML commercial airline vending bottles. These will likely be well-known and hence trusted by your customers. These filled bottles are available in bulk from distributors, or you can watch for sales at local liquor stores. To extend their shelf life, you can dip the bottle tops in paraffin.