Even though I never drink alcohol, I have a few different types of alcohol stored as part of my emergency preparations. Why? Preparing for emergencies, whether short or long-term, is crucial. Being ready for natural disasters or large-scale social and economic collapse is important, and in such cases, trading and bartering become essential to everyday life. When stores are unavailable, proposing an exchange to peers is necessary if supplies run low. Having something valuable to trade with, which others want, is essential in these situations, as bartering and trading are practices that have always been adopted by humanity during social collapse. Alcohol is considered the perfect trading item as it has significant value, even in war zones, and can make a good friend out of an enemy.
Reasons to store alcohol
1. Medicine
Alcohol has many medicinal uses, from disinfecting wounds to mild pain killer.
2. Social Benefits
Alcohol can be used to create a sense of normalcy, especially during celebration. It is also commonplace in many religious and/or spiritual ceremonies.
3. Trade
Alcohol’s inherent value, from its immediate effects to its various uses, makes it an excellent commodity to trade with. Its relative worth is easier to determine compared to other items, making it a more effective baseline currency.
4. Solvent & Fuel
For thousands of years, alcohol has been used as a fuel. It’s an easy way to quickly start a fire (think cooking, light, defence) and is also a great solvent for cleaning with.
Which alcohol to store
This list is broken into two types of alcohol: drinking alcohol and non-drinking alcohol.
Drinking Alcohol
While you don’t have to invest in just one type of alcohol, I have prioritised this list in order of what I believe is most valuable in most emergency situations.
| Type | Percentage | Uses | Expiry |
| Spirits | 20-55% | Medicine, Social, Trade | Never |
| Moonshine | 70-90% | Medicine, Social, Trade, Solvent & Fuel | Never |
| Wine | 9-18% | Medicine, Social, Trade | 1+ year unopened |
| Beer | 3-10% | Social, Trade | 6-24 months unopened |
| Liquors | 15-45% | Social, Trade | Differs |
Spirits
Spirits are the ideal option for stockpiling due to their long shelf life, which never expires past 20% alcohol content. Mason jars are a great alternative to the original container to store spirits. The high alcohol content of 20% or more makes spirits useful in long-term situations for first aid and trading. Whisky and vodka are popular choices for stockpiling, with whisky for personal consumption and cheap vodka for emergency use being the preferred options.
Moonshine
Moonshine and other distilled grain spirits, like Everclear, are considered spirits but they differ from common spirits because of their incredibly high alcohol content – it needs to be mixed to be drinkable. As ‘shine is sold as a drink, I have categorised it as “drinking alcohol”. That being said, the primary reason for storing moonshine would be to use for utility (disinfectant, fuel, solvent, etc.) without denaturing.
Wine
Wine is not ideal for stockpiling due to its high cost, limited versatility, and relatively short expiry date. However, some fine wines can increase in value over time and may be worth considering for investment purposes. Red wines can also benefit from proper storage in cool, dark environments, but white wines do not have a long shelf life.
Beer
Beer is not an ideal stockpiling commodity due to its high cost, limited shelf life, and negligible resell value. Compared to wine and spirits, beer has fewer uses and less potential for investment or hedging against inflation. That being said, beer is a great way to get extra calories into your diet when food is scarce.
Liquors
Liquors have added sugar and do not have a standard for alcohol content, making them less predictable for medical purposes or shelf life. Some liquors have cream added, such as Baileys, and are recommended to be stored at specific temperatures for up to two years. Overall, liquors are not ideal for prepper stockpiling.
Non-Drinking Alcohol
The alcohols on the non-drinking list are products that are sold for purposes other than drinking and will most likely come denatured. Denaturing is when additives are used to make consumption unpalaptable, nauseating, or even posionous.
