Adult beverages for Winter Camping

[Bob Gross]

There is the old classic, Purple Passion.

50-50 mixture of Everclear and grape juice. For backpackers, you could use concentrated grape juice.

–B.G.–

[Michael Trefzger]

Great comments here so far. I tend to enjoy my whisky strait but if you must mix, the True Citrus products are quite good. I HATE the taste of artificial sweeteners. The True Citrus products do use artificial sweeteners but the taste is far better than Crystal Light.

[Justin Mckinney]

You can't go wrong with hot toddies: Whiskey-hot water-a little sugar- lemon-a few cloves yum!!

[Jerry Adams]

You take a lemon

Cut it in half

Squeeze out the juice

Take that and use it for beverage

That is what I would call true citrus

[Jacob Kratavil]

Was out in the ADK last month and two friendly neighbors from the north (Canada) who where sharing a lean-to with us had packets of dehydrated mulled wine. For the life of me I haven't been able to find it in the states yet. It came in standard square cider packets and tasted pretty good on a cold winter night.

[Paul Ashton]

Mixed drinks are fine. Warm some dark rum (the only kind worth drinking IMNSHO) add cold rum until it does not burn the lips; drink:)
I also love (most) single malt whiskies, and was introduced to a splendid US blend called "Maker's Mark" shortly after arriving here.
However, ANY booze is a bad idea when serious winter camping/hiking as it causes accelerated heat loss and reduced thought processing. OK when back in the cabin, Yurt or whatever, but not on the hills.

[Keith Bassett]

Hot Cider, with Tuaca. You can hit it with some cream/creamer/whipped cream too if you like the roundness that milk adds.

VERY nice. Cider plus vanilla is the flavor.

Come to think of it, you could do cider plus whiskey plus a touch of vanilla and get nearly the same impact.

[Nick Smolinske]

Resurrecting this thread to add some of my own ideas. After all, 'tis the season! I've been thinking about my big winter Grand Canyon hike (starting in two days) today…

-Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps. Basically a hot york peppermint patty. Tastes great with powdered whole milk added, but you'll be left with lumps of milk at the end – fair warning.

-Hot Cocoa with cinnamon, cayenne pepper and tequila

-Hot apple cider packets with Fireball, or another cinnamon whiskey

-Hot buttered rum – I tried this on a trip recently and it was pretty good, but warning about the spices, they won't mix in well put straight into the drink. The last sips of the drink were nasty. If I do this again I'll do it in multiple steps:

1) heat water and steep spices in a tea bag. Either use cinnamon and nutmeg, or – just had this idea as I was typing this – good earth sweet and spicy tea! I bet that would be amazing…
2) remove tea bag, add rum, butter and brown sugar
3) drink!

[Eric Blumensaadt]

As illustrated in "Allen & Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book" do NOT consume alcohol straight from a sub-freezing container.

You may freeze your esophagus!

[Roger Caffin]

So you go down to the shops and buy some Everclear. Do you know what you are buying????

I Googled the MSDS for Everclear and got the following results on page 1. You want to take the risk?

CryoPen Inc
EVERCLEAR (grain alcohol)
Beverage for human consumption
Ethyl Alcohol 95%
Rest ????? unspecified!!

Euclid Chemical Company
EverClear 55 gal drum
Aromatic petroleum distillates 30.0% – 60.0%
Acrylic resin 15.0% – 40.0%
1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 15.0% – 40.0%
1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene 5.0% – 10.0%
Xylene 1.0% – 5.0%
1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene 1.0% – 5.0%
Cumene 1.0% – 5.0%

CH2O INC.
Ever-Clear
Isopropyl alcohol < 5% (by wt)
Quaternary ammonium compounds 0.0-10.0%
Ethylene glycol butyl ether 1.3%
Mineral oil 15.0-25.0%

Azer Scientific
Everclear – Xylene substitute
Aliphatic hydrocarbon 100%
No further explanation given

Cheers

[Ken Larson]

Everclear…….."Moon Shine", Ethyl Alcohol 95% (by Volume) 190 Proof, some US States prohibit the selling the product to consumers, excellent stove fuel….expensive $18 – $22/liter!

[Jack M]

Unless you're looking to quickly forget or significantly alter your mental status for the evening, I wouldn't recommend Everclear. Its very easy to go overboard and let me tell you..the end result isn't pretty. Quite popular on the college scene.

[Tipi Walter]

We are having an interesting discussion on Whiteblaze about how dopers and drunks are in part ruining the Appalachian Trail experience and esp around the AT shelters. See—

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/107864-Baxter-State-Park-AT-concerns-Wow

You have to go a little indepth until you reach the part about party types on Katahdin and alcohol abuse etc.

I often see backpackers carrying six packs and boxed wine and very often have problems with their behavior—giant bonfires in windstorms, loud yelling and monkey howling disturbing everyone camping nearby, trash, jim beam bottles in firepits, a dozen beer cans under a rock overhang.

I was a drunk sot during my USAF years '69-73 but ya gotta quit some time. This is just my opinion but there's no place for booze in the woods.

I know, people will say, "But I just take a sip before bed." Good for you. Many don't, the intention of many is to come out to have a party and get wasted. I see it all the time. It's discouraging and so I over-react and blame the Demon Rum.

[Valerie E]

+1 on Jack's NON-recommendation of Everclear as a beverage (it's fine for stove fuel).

One of my backpacking buddies was looking for the most UL booze solution for a GC North Rim trip we were doing, and calculated that Everclear would be the most alcohol for the weight (gotta love engineers). I stuck with my tequila, but those who drank the Everclear said that, even though they didn't feel all that "drunk" while they were drinking it, they were still feeling the effects the next morning. Not a desirable feeling for the hike out of Grand Canyon…

[Bob Gross]

Everclear is OK, but somewhat dangerous unless you portion it out by the thimbleful.

–B.G.–

[David Thomas]

>"Everclear…….."Moon Shine", Ethyl Alcohol 95% (by Volume) 190 Proof"

The maximum allowable proof varies with state law. 190 proof works as stove fuel (and I worry less about unburned fumes than I do with IPA or methanol). But (barely) drinkable ethanol is a LOT more expensive than denatured ethanol, methanol or IPA.

In Alaska, Everclear is 151 proof = 75.5 percent. That forces one to use some other alcohol fuel. I found Erin and Hig some 99% IPA at Safeway for their summer hike around Cook Inlet. 91% and lower IPA was also available.

In this context, IPA means isopropyl alcohol. NOT India Pale Ale.

Back on topic: Just a year ago, I'd have recommended Everclear for mixed drinks on the trail for the weight savings (why carry water in your alcohol?), but then I tried it in that use. The cheapest triple-distilled vodka doesn't have such a nasty taste. I haven't gotten drunk enough on either to compare hangover effects, but while I'd eyeball the volume of a splash of 80 proof vodka, I suggest measuring the Everclear precisely. Someone bumping your elbow would make for more drink-equivalents than you intended. At my local liquor stores, the cost per pure alcohol is the same between Everclear and low-end vodkas.

[Bob Gross]

If you are trying to lower the weight, but if you want a different taste, try 151 proof rum. Still, measure it with a thimble.

–B.G.–

[Scott Martin]

Just finished a batch of "Apple Pie". 2-1/2 gal. YUM!

[Seth R]

I was in Hannaford of all places and found a two pack of Mylar flasks that weigh < 1/2 oz each. Absolutely perfect for the pack.

I'm a Buffalo Trace guy. On my last trip my buddy mixed it with cola. We still shame him.

[Ralph Burgess]

"But (barely) drinkable ethanol is a LOT more expensive than denatured ethanol, methanol or IPA."

This is essentially tax, right? I don't think high purity ethanol is expensive to produce, it's just that anything potable is taxed heavily.
Denatured alcohol aka (in the UK) methylated spirits / "meths" has methanol or other toxic substances are added, to make it (in principle) undrinkable, and therefore exempt from the taxation of alcoholic beverages. This has the unfortunate effect that penniless desperate alcoholics may still resort to drinking "meths", because that's all they can get…

[Bob Gross]

"This is essentially tax, right?"

Federal tax is a big chunk of that. Then some states get a chunk as well.

Up to about 190-195 Proof, they can distill ethanol by normal means. As they try to get closer and closer to 200 Proof Absolute, it gets more difficult to get that last drop of water out. If you really want 200 Proof Absolute, you need to go bribe somebody who works in a chemical laboratory or chemical warehouse.

You can pack ethanol up to 140 Proof in checked luggage on an airliner. However, I have found that 140 Proof vodka doesn't burn great in an alcohol burner.

–B.G.–

[Nick Smolinske]

Back on topic here . . .just tried the Good Earth Sweet and Spicy idea and it was AMAZING! Here's what I did:

Bring a cup of water and 2 oz (by weight, so . . . maybe 2 tablespoons?) of dark brown sugar to a boil. When it boils, turn off the heat, add a pouch of Good Earth Sweet and Spicy tea, then cover to steep for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put a healthy dab of butter in a mug. Remove the teabag, pour into the mug, and add rum to your liking.

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