Bathtub gin

Style of homemade spirit

Bathtub gin refers to any style of homemade spirit made in amateur conditions. The term first appeared in 1920, in the prohibition in the United States, in reference to the poor-quality alcohol that was being made.[1]

As gin was the predominant drink in the 1920s, many variations were created by mixing cheap grain alcohol with water and flavorings and other agents, such as juniper berry juice and glycerin. In addition, mixing grain alcohol, water, and flavorings in vessels large enough to supply commercial users had to be small enough for the operation to go undetected by the police.

Many gin cocktails such as Bee's Knees owe their existence to bathtub gin, as they were also created in order to mask the unpleasant taste.[2]

## Production

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### Plastic still

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A thermal immersion circulator, like this sous vide stick, is used to evaporate ethanol in plastic stills.

A plastic still is a device for distillation specially adapted for separating ethanol and water.[citation needed] Plastic stills are common because they are cheap and easy to manufacture. The principle is that a smaller amount of liquid is placed in an open smaller vessel inside a larger one that is closed. A cheap 100 W immersion heater is typically used as heat source, but a thermal immersion circulator, like a sous vide stick is ideal because it comes with a temperature controller. The liquid is kept heated at about 50 °C (122 °F) which slowly evaporates the ethanol to 40% ABV that condense on the inner walls of the outer vessel. The condensation that accumulates in the bottom of the vessel can then be diverted directly down through a filter containing activated carbon. The final product has approximately twice as much alcohol content as the starting liquid and can be distilled several times if stronger distillate is desired. The method is slow, and is not suitable for large-scale production.

## Etymology

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The common metal bathtub in use at the time would have been ideal as would have been a ceramic bathtub, as a fermentation vessel, hence the name, 'bathtub gin'. However, since distillation is boiling and condensation in a closed apparatus, and cannot be accomplished in an open vessel such as a bathtub, stories of distilled alcoholic products produced in an open bathtub are likely untrue.

## See also

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* Liquor portal

* Bathtub Gin (speakeasy)
* Fusel alcohol
* Prohibition
* History of alcohol
* Alcoholic beverage
* Distilled beverages
* List of cocktails
* List of alcoholic beverages
* Moonshine
* Speakeasy

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "bathtub gin". Merriam-Webster OnLine. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on February 19, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
2. ^ Sandham, Tom (October 1, 2012). World's Best Cocktails: 500 Signature Drinks from the World's Best Bars and Bartenders. Fair Winds Press. p. 72\. ISBN 978-1-61058-648-1.

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