Bathtub Gin: A Story to be Heard.
Alcohol has a very rich and amusing history and the history of gin is no different. One of the more fascinating milestones in the history of the drink is bathtub gin produced during prohibition. This restrictive time of American history made alcoholic beverages illegal in the country. Alcohol was sold on the black market and it was produced in homes all around the country.
Bathtub gin was actually produced in homes. The person making the bootleg gin used denatured alcohol in the process. The poisons were taken out from the liquid to recover ethyl alcohol that was flavored with juniper flavoring. The bathtub gin was then diluted and put into bottles. This was not the best tasting drink on the planet, but people who wanted a cocktail during the prohibition era had little say in the matter.
There were seventy-five unique formulas for making bathtub gin. The alcohol needed to be denatured in order to be safely ingested by people. If the alcohol was not purified properly, crippling results occurred. There were fatalities linked to impure bathtub gin. The concoction often proved to be dangerous and even fatal. People continued to take risks with the home made concoction in spite of all of the risks.
The phrase “to die for” is currently used in the figurative sense. However, when the phrase first came about in common speech, it was meant quite literally. Bathtub gin was a dangerous venture that cost some party-goers their lives. This is the highest price to pay for a good time.
However, people take the same chances today when they use illegal substances like cocaine and heroine. Bathtub gin is actually no different. There are significant risks, but most party people don’t take the risks into account. Fatalities happen to other people. The risk is commonly ignored.
Ironically, gin was originally introduced to civilization because it had medical purposes. Gin and tonic was produced as a medicine to fight malaria. The quinine found in the tonic water was the ingredient that actually helped to kill malaria. Over time the gin and tonic recipe became a favorite drink among social crowds.
Prohibition was a dangerous time for many who wanted to go on with drinking alcohol. The drive to drink powered the production of concoctions like bathtub gin. The drinks were literally to die for in some cases. Some people still make moonshine today, but the process is not nearly as dangerous. In any case, it’s best to reserve the bathtub for cleaning yourself.
