Adult beverages in the backcountry.

[Justin Chaussee]

When I backpack, I always like to bring along a small flask of "adult 100% de agave type juice" with me. Mostly because it's the easiest type of adult beverage to bring into the wild due to it's potency (you don't need that much) and resiliancy (doesn't need to be kept at a specific temperature or anything). I also really enjoy wine but have never taken it to the backcountry due to the heavy bottle it comes in and you can't really open a bottle of wine and store it in a flask. yuk… My question is, has anyone taken wine into the backcountry? If so, how did you do it? How did it taste/hold-up? I'm sure you can buy an expensive gizmo that is designed for it, but I'm looking for a more homemade/lightweight approach.

[Michael Martin]

It's not ultralight. And, wine snobs will surely scoff. But…

Some wine is available in boxes instead of bottles. Inside the box is a bladder. Throw away the box. Take the bladder hiking. Enjoy.

The bladder stays airtight so it reduces oxidation of the wine. (Not that oxidation would necessarily ruin any of the "fine" wines I've ever seen available in boxes.) ;)

For a lighter approach, there is always Everclear and Grape Koolaid powder. :)

[Ashley Brown]

"Some wine is available in boxes instead of bottles."

Scoff!

Seriously though, red wine is fine in a plastic bottle (for a couple of days) providing you can keep it cool. Temperature is more important than the bottle you keep it in.

If you're not going to drink it all on one night, try splitting it into a couple of smaller bottles so that one can stay sealed.

At night you can chill it by draping a wet cloth over it (the evaporation makes it cold during the night). Keep it cool and it will last longer.

Actually, keeping it in a plastic bladder (eg. platypus) would be better than a bottle, since you can get rid of the extra air.

[cary bertoncini]

i brought a nice bottle of merlot repackaged in a platy one time – had it on the 3rd night & it was great

had some that came in small plastic bottles in my JMT resupply box – the wine wasn't quite as good

i'd say a better wine repackaged is the way to go

[Justin Chaussee]

I'm not opposed to that at all! I would consider myself a "wine snobb". My great grandfather, grandfather, and father all made wine. I have made wine with my father before. I collect it, study it, enjoy it, and love it. Let me tell you, a TRUE wine snobb won't scoff at anything that tastes good. As long as you enjoy it, there's no shame in it. I laugh at the "wine snobbs" that scoff at the different type of wine people drink. My boss is the steriotype of that. If you didn't spend 100 bucks on it, it must be junk. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying my 10 dollar bottle 1000 times more than he is trying to choke down his 100 dollar bottle… haha..

Back to the subject, I have heard of one company that produces "fine" boxed wine called petit rabbit or something like that, but I haven't tried it. I guess the biggest thing with wine is lightweight storage. It's probably more feasable to stick with the hard stuff… ;-)

[Ashley Brown]

"a TRUE wine snobb won't scoff at anything that tastes good"

Of course not. But show me a cask wine that tastes decent. Here in Aus they sell 5 litre casks for as little as $10. That's $2/litre (about US$1.30/litre)!!

You can get some tasty and respectable wines for $10 a bottle, but not $2 a litre.

It's not the fact that it's "in a box", it's the price. Making decent wine is an expensive business.

But DYOD (drink your own drink)! If you find it tasty and enjoyable then good for you.

[joe newton]

This?

[Ashley Brown]

That looks like the ticket Joe.

A normal platy will work just as well, providing you keep it out of the sunlight. But obviously it will stain.

That one looks way cooler!

[Nick Chen]

On my last overnighter, I decided to invite some friends who were fledgling campers… to my horror they were willing to not only carry marinated meat, half a bag of CHARCOAL!!!, but also this monster bottle of Wild Turkey. We managed to almost finish the whole bottle that night :) Sometimes having a great time is better than counting your baseweight.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Ashley

> 5 litre casks for as little as $10
Well, maybe, except that I have never seen one in the last 10 years. maybe I don't look in the wrong places?

I have two 3 L casks of Merlot on the shelf right now, each one about AU$20. Hardys and SQ3. Very nice stuff. And yes, I have drunk quite expensive bottled red in my time – on someone else's budget.

For our American readers: Australian cask red is a very fine drop, and far better than some make out. Apart from the fact that the good brands are GOOD here in Oz, the casks have the advantage that the contents can last a month or more on the shelf while you drink a little each night. The oxygen is strictly excluded, and the contents stay the same down to the last glass.

Cheers
PS: And the washed-out bladders beat the hell out of Platypus bladders on weight, life and price!

[Diplomatic Mike]

Yip, the 3L bladders are the way to go.
What other form of alcohol gives you a pleasant evening 'refreshment', and a pillow to sleep it off? :)

[te – wa]

Justin, its called French Rabbit. http://www.frenchrabbit.com/
It is decent wine, according to taste reviews. I have tried it once, but is only available at one store about 15 miles from me.
OTOH, Target sells a 4-pack of ~.5L wine boxes (think EAS protein drink style) that are easy to use. Basically cardboard with foil type lining.

This time of year is perfect for a ribeye on the coals, and a sweet Shiraz afterwards.
(btw, my Aussie freinds, we get a nice little Shiraz by the "Little Boomey" company. Another fine bargain red is Penfold's "rawson's retreat".
I dont know what y'all think of it, but it works for me @ US $6)

[Ken Helwig]

Penfolds do make some nice wines. I would recommned carrying wine in a Playtpus. Probably would be good for a couple days max. No matter what, you have air in the Platy and you won't get a perfect seal.

That is why I usually will bring a scotch or maybe a bourbon.

Their are some wine producers that are doing the cardboard route lately. One springs to mind is Vendange. Known more for their 1.5 ltr. bottles. Nice California fruit that is relatively inexpensive.

If any has questions regarding wine, I'm a wine and spirits sales rep. and can give advice if need be.

[te – wa]

Well, Justin since you are a tequila snob (as am i) and Ken is a rep/distributor, maybe he can hook us up with one of these beauties: http://www.tequilasource.com/bottles/pics/gran-reserva_1011_r2.jpg

[Nate Meinzer]

Pot.

And not the titanium kind.

Just sayin'.

Though I prefer me some bourbon and will suffer the weight for it.

[Jay Wilkerson]

I will sacrifice weight by bringing in a few 24oz cans of beer. IMHO worth every oz on a weekend hike. Pt. Reyes is a weekend hike- right?

[t.darrah]

Jay,
How about a MYOG project of converting a bear vault to a keg? Design a UL titanium tap and a good seal, you will be set. Being allergic to beer I will leave this project to others.

[Adam Rothermich]

–Though I prefer me some bourbon and will suffer the weight for it.–

I'm in agreement there! My flask makes it on most of my trips. Wild Turkey is good bang-for-the-buck, so to speak. Jeremiah Weed is my all-time favorite though. If you can find some, pick it up :).

Adam

[Nate Meinzer]

Wow. That's terrible to hear. Didn't know such a thing existed. Cold beer in Pt. Reyes would be awesome. I think I'm gonna leave the frameless pack at home and go with an osprey so I can bring some beer. Since I'm leaving later in the day (3pm) or so, shouldn't be hard to get it to camp somewhat cold. I also have a collapsible cooler that works well.

[t.darrah]

To be definitive the barley and hops are the issue. Two beers and I will break out in hives, breathing will become restricted and my eyes will swell closed. Not fun.

I could share a humerous and interesting story/experience which involves a bathtub full of ice water.

[Tony Wong]

Thom,

You just decribed all the symptoms that I have when I open my pay check. :)

Allergies are a female dog….I have a similar reaction, but my eyes don't swell up.

Hope you carry an epi pen with you.

-Tony

[te – wa]

my god, man! it brings me to tears, to tears to think a man from Oregon of all places is allergic to the "nectar of the gods"
for shame, Thom for shame

have you tried Hefe-Weizen? no hops or barley just yeast and wheat (as the name implies :)

[Rick Dreher]

Hi Justin,

I routinely decant the wine 'o choice (always red, but anyway) into a clean 750ml PET supermarket drinking water bottle, careful to evacuate the last bubble of air when closing it down. Into a ziplock bag for leakage insurance and stowed deep in the pack during hot weather.

I've never noticed any plastic taste leaching into the wine and it's never turned on me ["I never liked you!"]; of course, it NEVER makes it past night #2, so I can't recommend the decant method for drift boxes or food drops.

When it does survive night #1, a partial bottle can be collapsed to evacuate the air or it can simply be transferred into a second, smaller bottle.

I don't go the Platy route because it inevitably leaves a flavor that I'd later notice tainting water, but that option would certainly do the trick as well (just keep one dedicated to the task). I'm curious as to the Platy wine containers linked to earlier in this thread. Perhaps they're lined with an impervious inner layer?

I can't recommend going through the effort highly enough. Lots of indelible hiking memories include sipping wine from titanium (of course :-) while eating dinner as the sun sets.

[Ken Helwig]

Nothing better than sitting at the end of the day and sipping on some single malt while watching alpineglow. That my friends is a wonderful way to end a hard days hike.

Don't we have a few threads on alcohol and backpacking here???

[Diplomatic Mike]

Drink of the Gods. Bunnahabhain Single Malt.

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