Maybe you don’t partake of alcoholic beverages. If that is the case I congratulate you for having the strength and self discipline that I sometimes lack. However a personal choice to abstain from the bottle should not deter you from stockpiling some for SHTF. After all even though you might not drink quite a few others in your area certainly do, making booze quite a nice commodity to have if others start to get desperate. As a matter of fact as of 2012 liquor sales are up, suggesting an increase in demand (or block parties).
Liquor sales rose by 4% last year, and growth was particularly strong in terms of exports of American spirits (up 16.5%) and sales in the pricey “super premium” category of vodka (up 15.9%). Liquor also posted slight gains in market share against beer, indicating that consumers feel good enough about the economy to splurge on upscale beverages.
When the economy slumps and things go sour people tend to cut back on quite a few things, liquor is not one of those things.
How does alcohol figure into the mix? By most accounts, during recessions, alcohol sales don’t suffer. After all, tough times unfortunately bring with them an excuse for some to turn to the bottle.
Even prior to natural disasters people tend to stock up on beer, wine and booze. For some reason it’s just one of those things that many people simply cannot live without.
Eric Bernabo, owner of Jolson’s [Wine and Liquor], said his shop is always crowded whenever there’s a natural disaster on the way.
“Whoever said you need bread and water? Get a little bit of red wine and a bottle of vodka and you’ll be all set,” he said. “You won’t even remember the storm happened.”
So there you have it, I suggest having at least 12 bottles of cheap booze on the shelves of your basement storage unit. Why booze (liquor)? It stores better than beer and also has some “medicinal properties.” In addition booze can be purchased quite cheaply, if it comes in a plastic bottle and is sitting on the bottom shelf that’s probably the cheapest stuff in the store. I suggest buying Vodka (maybe 75% of your collection) as it has been proven to the the most popular type of liquor, accounting for 31% of spirit sales in the US.
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True story: I first started this particular line of preps by confiscating the hidden party-booze under my daughter’s bed (she’s 20 year old). Ugh.
I have vodka. If I ever have to perform minor medical procedures, like stitches or tooth pulling, a drunk patient might be the best you could hope for in a SHTF situation.
Also, I don’t drink now. But I might need some lifting of my spirits in SHTF
So true PJ. Alcohol is one of those multi-functional prep items that covers a range of necessities. Some red whiskey, honey, and a stick of soft peppermint melted together and you have some homemade cough syrup / throat lozenge. Vodka works well as a disinfectant. It all serves as barter items. AND it can serve as one of those “comfort” items in a time of need.
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as long as that time of need is not when you are supposed to be on guard duty…lol
I keep attempting to stockpile cheap vodka… but invariably I break into it when the first choice items are gone.
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Those plastic squeezy “bottom shelf” bottles are the worst
Booze is honestly the perfect stockpiling good. So many uses for it, keeps forever (well the right ones), and boosts morale.