Gin Tankage?

[Dockhead]

I was joking with a shipmate about how we'll need gin tankage for next year's Baltic odyssey, and afterwards started to think that maybe it's not such a stupid idea. With up to five or six thirsty sailors on board, the bottles stack up, hard to store when full, hard to dispose of, and expensive to buy. Astronomically expensive in Scandinavia.

You can buy gin in bulk in the UK, from here for example: http://www.alcohols.co.uk/distillery products.php

I wouldn't buy a lot of it before trying it, but I bet it's not bad.

A five liter jug of the concentrate would make 10 liters of gin.

I wonder if anyone has tried storing bulk spirits under a cabinet somewhere, with some kind of dispensing pump at the counter? Any tips? It would save a lot of space, a lot of hassle, and a lot of money.

[Sailmonkey]

The day I get a gin dispenser is the day I start looking for AA groups in the neighborhood.


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[Vasco]

A buddy had a big jug under the galley sink and a hand pump to dispense rum.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Vasco

A buddy had a big jug under the galley sink and a hand pump to dispense rum.

Yep, I know a boat with a rum tank also.

I hear you on the gin - the bottles are almost as heavy as the contents.

Mark

[barnakiel]

You cannot import unlabelled alcohol into Scan countries. Talk to their customs they will explain. Only a limited number of bottles with proper seals can be brought in.

Elsewehere, I think a proper boat storage for liquor could be a good idea. Perhaps one can buy rhum in Caribbean direct from the distillery?

I know one can buy wine in France, Italy and Spain like this. But wine does not store well. The English know something about it ....

A glass barrel with a pump. Well wedged in. Say 5 gallons ...

;-)

b.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I was joking with a shipmate about how we'll need gin tankage for next year's Baltic odyssey, and afterwards started to think that maybe it's not such a stupid idea. With up to five or six thirsty sailors on board, the bottles stack up, hard to store when full, hard to dispose of, and expensive to buy. Astronomically expensive in Scandinavia.

You can buy gin in bulk in the UK, from here for example: http://www.alcohols.co.uk/distillery products.php

I wouldn't buy a lot of it before trying it, but I bet it's not bad.

A five liter jug of the concentrate would make 10 liters of gin.

I wonder if anyone has tried storing bulk spirits under a cabinet somewhere, with some kind of dispensing pump at the counter? Any tips? It would save a lot of space, a lot of hassle, and a lot of money.

Sounds like one heck of a party

[crazyoldboatguy]

Gin concentrate?

Why not freeze dried?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by avb3

Sounds like one heck of a party

Well . . . four months, up to five guys on board, a party here and there with the locals . . . You end up hauling a ton of bottles, and the prices in Scandinavia can bankrupt you.

Our ship is absolutely dry on passage, not even a glass of wine. But we do let our hair down a bit in port

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

You cannot import unlabelled alcohol into Scan countries. Talk to their customs they will explain. Only a limited number of bottles with proper seals can be brought in.

Argh, and it's Scandinavia which is the very problem

But the Swedish customs site (for example) says that there is no limit to the quantity of alcohol which can be brought from another EU country (e.g. UK), so long as it's for personal use:

Alcohol from another EU country - Tullverket [NS4 version]

[deblen]

What about beer kegs with CO2 pressure?

[Terra Nova]

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

[El Pinguino]

I'd be a bit wary of buying from an outfit with that product line , I wonder if they also produce Aqua Velva'?
Alcohols Limited

"Our Products
Chemicals By Industry
Speciality Solvents
Automotive Products
Ethanol Terms
Gin Distillation
Distillery Products"

[colemj]

Actually, that isn't a lot of gin. Because we often need to provision for 6-8 months at a time, we have calculated how much gin (and tonic) we need.

Our typical usage is two G&T's apiece each night when at anchor (never on passages or nights before passages). So 4 per night total. The gin per drink is a standard shot.

We are always shocked at the number of bottles of gin and cans of tonic needed for this modest imbibing. Then we get double shocked when we realize the weight contributions of the bottles. It is almost 50%. Not to mention storage of round bottles is not efficient (Bombay helps here) - and they are glass.

BTW, there are 16 standard drinks in a 750ml bottle of gin. So that works out for two people having 2 drinks/night as 4 nights/bottle. Almost 2 bottles/week!

Mark

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

Problem? What problem? The only problem is when I have to pay $60 for a bottle of gin in Finland

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by colemj

Actually, that isn't a lot of gin. Because we often need to provision for 6-8 months at a time, we have calculated how much gin (and tonic) we need.

Our typical usage is two G&T's apiece each night when at anchor (never on passages or nights before passages). So 4 per night total. The gin per drink is a standard shot.

We are always shocked at the number of bottles of gin and cans of tonic needed for this modest imbibing. Then we get double shocked when we realize the weight contributions of the bottles. It is almost 50%. Not to mention storage of round bottles is not efficient (Bombay helps here) - and they are glass.

Mark

Yes, all kidding aside, you hit the nail on the head.

The rum ration on my boat -- in port only! -- is two G&T's, each made with 75ml of Beefeater. Not enough for my Finnish crew, who admitted at the end of the cruise that he was suffering from alcohol deprivation the whole time

With five people on board, that's roughly one bottle per day in port. Over four months, minus sea days . . . well, you can do the math.

The more I think about it, the more the bulk purchase really makes sense.