Liquor for barter in SHTF

[Hawaiian]

While you can ship wine, beer and cider to Oregon, hard liquor is prohibited.

 

[BAJ475]

Wouldn't a pot still be a better investment?

Only if you have a source of fermentables and some distillers yeast. Dried yeast can be kept for some time but fermentables are likely to be in short supply.

 

[3MTA3]

Best way is a road trip to the Costco in Reno. Eight hour drive each way from the OP's location. Just make it part of a mini vacation to Reno. Rooms are rock bottom and if gambling isn't your thing plenty to do like a pretty amazing car museum and nearby ghost towns also losts of shooting opportunities. If you make the trip just for that it isn't cost effective, so combine some fun with the run. Be mindful that all quick ways go through CA, so be mindful of their firearms restrictions if they decide you are a fruit smuggler.

 

[BAJ475]

Best way is a road trip to the Costco in Reno. Eight hour drive each way from the OP's location. Just make it part of a mini vacation to Reno. Rooms are rock bottom and if gambling isn't your thing plenty to do like a pretty amazing car museum and nearby ghost towns also losts of shooting opportunities. If you make the trip just for that it isn't cost effective, so combine some fun with the run. Be mindful that all quick ways go through CA, so be mindful of their firearms restrictions if they decide you are a fruit smuggler.
View attachment 1147702

When we were moving to Idaho and on the way to CA to pick up more belongings, the ag inspection station in Dorris wanted to see the inside of the utility trailer I was hauling. There were only furniture blankets. The 1000 rnds of 9mm was in the cab of the truck.

 

[Martini_Up]

Roll your own

 

[Knobgoblin]

make a run to nevada.

Or right across the California border on 101.

Dirt cheap.

 

[Mark W.]

Drive to one of the huge booze warehouses in Northern CA and buy what you want.

 

[revjen45]

WROL by definition means just that: the law is meaningless.
I'm thinking that cannabis and related products would have considerable barter value with THE LAW having become irrelevant. I have heard that it is relatively easy to grow.

 

[SteelheadTed]

You might be able to buy at a store on some Indian reservations (some reservations prohibit alcohol), but not sure if the prices would be any better than the OLCC stores. Apparently the prices in the Oregon stores are better than in WA state?

This Is How Much a Bottle of Alcohol Costs in Each State

Sorry New York.

www.thrillist.com

That is true but it is also like saying China is more free than North Korea. They are both horrible. WA and OR are the top two states in the nation for total liquor tax. When shopping in other states it's amazing to see the same bottles as back home for half to a third the cost.

 

[SteelheadTed]

Individuals can't buy direct from wholesalers, only retailers can buy from wholesalers. It sucks, and it's anti-liberty but it is the way of it. As others have suggested, visit a state with lower taxes and buy there. California isn't great but it's way better than WA or OR and it's within driving distance. Flying somewhere makes the transport considerably harder.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

I could see where an ice-cold beer might have value if the SHTF scenario included no electricity.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Sure it would work for barter.
With that said...
Advertising works both ways....it lets folks know you have something that may be of value...so you can trade or.....
Have it taken from you.

If we went into a SHTF situation....Place your trading / bartering area in a spot where you can control who goes in or out...and away from where you live and or store your trade goods.
Andy

 

[Hueco]

If we went into a SHTF situation....Place your trading / bartering area in a spot where you can control who goes in or out...and away from where you live and or store your trade goods.
Andy

And always have air support. At minimum, sniper support.

Learned that from these guys:

 

[Member 34319]

Best way is a road trip to the Costco in Reno. Eight hour drive each way from the OP's location. Just make it part of a mini vacation to Reno. Rooms are rock bottom and if gambling isn't your thing plenty to do like a pretty amazing car museum and nearby ghost towns also losts of shooting opportunities. If you make the trip just for that it isn't cost effective, so combine some fun with the run. Be mindful that all quick ways go through CA, so be mindful of their firearms restrictions if they decide you are a fruit smuggler.
View attachment 1147702

While very true, this made me laugh as yes Reno is known for cheap alcohol.

As for barter.

I'd pass on alcohol, unless it is isopropyl. I wouldn't want to deal with those coming down off their alcoholic natures.

Id recommend coffee. I recently quit caffeine and it hurt. Hurt badly.

There will be more "normal" or "normal-ish" folks coming off of a caffeine addiction during a SHTF event than alcohol. Dealing with these types would be a whole lot safer than alcoholics.

 

[Hueco]

While very true, this made me laugh as yes Reno is known for cheap alcohol.

As for barter.

I'd pass on alcohol, unless it is isopropyl. I wouldn't want to deal with those coming down off their alcoholic natures.

Id recommend coffee. I recently quit caffeine and it hurt. Hurt badly.

There will be more "normal" or "normal-ish" folks coming off of a caffeine addiction during a SHTF event than alcohol. Dealing with these types would be a whole lot safer than alcoholics.

True alcoholics who lose immediate access to the sauce stand a decent chance of death from the withdrawal.

Caffeine going cold turkey hurts pretty bad, but it won't kill you and is generally over within a month, the worst being the first week or two.

I imagine that in any SHTF most people will be hunkering down for as long as possible...a LOT of withdrawals are going to take place the first month. Caffeine, booze, prescriptions that dry up (especially SSRI's and pain meds), illegals like meth and heroin, and semi legals like pot and kratom.

Your best bet will be to avoid EVERYONE for the first month unless you know that they're not WDing. People will be crazy.

 

[Member 34319]

Your best bet will be to avoid EVERYONE for the first month unless you know that they're not WDing. People will be crazy.

This!

 

[The Heretic]

I'd pass on alcohol, unless it is isopropyl. I wouldn't want to deal with those coming down off their alcoholic natures.

I pass on anybody that tends to get heavily inebriated very often. In my experience they can be abusive/risky/threatening when drunk and having had to deal with such people in my personal life I just prefer to not have them around me whether they are under the influence or not.

I do have some alcohol, but it will be for emergency medical purposes where meds are not available or not advised, not for barter. One possible use I can think of would be someone in extreme pain, or even slowly dying where there is no hope/medical/hospice care.

 

[The B]

given how easy it is to make, i doubt liquor will be in any abnormally high demand. an easily traded commodity, sure, but its not gonna be liquid gold.

i think people dont realize how easy it is to distill alcohol... all you need is sugar and yeast, let it ferment till it stops fizzing- usually a week or less, depending on the yeast- then put it in a simple pot-still... which is literally nothing more than a pipe that goes up for a pretty arbitrary height with another pipe that runs down into a collection vessel.... get the water and column to just under 100C and taste the hooch coming over, stop when its not biting your tongue anymore.

for stronger/more clinical grade, run the distillate thru the still again till desired strength is achieved.

its literally that simple.. i built my first still in about an hour with home depot copper pipe and a crock pot and drank my own shine later that night.

 

[The Heretic]

given how easy it is to make, i doubt liquor will be in any abnormally high demand. an easily traded commodity, sure, but its not gonna be liquid gold.

i think people dont realize how easy it is to distill alcohol... all you need is sugar and yeast, let it ferment till it stops fizzing- usually a week or less, depending on the yeast- then put it in a simple pot-still... which is literally nothing more than a pipe that goes up for a pretty arbitrary height with another pipe that runs down into a collection vessel.... get the water and column to just under 100C and taste the hooch coming over, stop when its not biting your tongue anymore.

I am surrounded by vineyards and wineries - one vineyard adjacent to my property, three or more wineries within line of sight, including the very large one that bought land from my family. Yeah, I don't think wine will be an issue, but I still stock some for cooking.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Meds are much easier to store, and will have infinitely more value as barter fodder than booze. Better yet, a strong medical skill set has that much more value, and storage is limitless. Booze for barter if SHTF.... Talk about first world problems. You have too much free time if that's where your concerns lie.