They refer to the output from the still as "gin", but is this technically correct? I thought gin had to be fermented with juniper or other aromatics. Assuming they're fermenting and distilling a grain mash, would it be more correct to say they're simply producing grain alcohol? Vodka?
shareThey also refer to the drinks as "lighter fluid", but it's not literally lighter fluid. They're just given names.
shareTrue that. I imagine the mash is made of different things at different times, depending on what's available. Corn, wheat, potatoes, fruit, etc. Someone in one episode told them they were using too much rice. "Gin" in this case is probably an umbrella term.
shareGin is flavored with juniper berries, but is it fermented with them? Don't know.
Home brew is often called "bathtub gin", which may get shortened to just 'gin'>
I believe you are correct. There are no juniper berries, but when Hawkeye makes "gin," I believe he is using the word "gin" as a synonym for bathdub gin, as someone else pointed out. Really, he's just making swill. At the same time, we never see anyone make any alcohol or ferment anything that would be distilled. They just magically end up with "gin."
Also, in Korea, there is a drink called Soju, which is a kind of cheap gin. Maybe they were making this. I think it was simply a writer's narratie on them having a still and it was easy to make "gin" rather than whiskey or some other liquor.
If it was me, I probably would have made some kind of wine from bug juice from the chow hall. If I had more than I could drink, would make that into some kind of cider or distill it into a kind of gin or whatever.
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I blame autocorrect.
You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.
Could it be moonshine they were making?
What I never understood is why they would spend any money in either of the two bars when they have free booze right there.
Or why even bother going back to Rosie's, which was such a dive and we find out what a cheap sleaze she is watering down drinks, and just only go to the OC which was also closer to camp.
Damn I'm good.
They described how to make, to Frank, in the episode where he bans alcohol on the base. Something like this:
Hawkeye: You take 16 mananas, 2 tomatoes, some green beans and stick 'em in a emina bag. And hang it on a tree for 9 weeks.
Trapper: Days.
Hawk: Days.
It sounds like they were making jail house pruno. I think they called it 'gin' because: a) they drank it out of martini glasses and it sounded classier than moonshine. And b) because of the bathtub gin thing.
They probably went to the bars to socialize and also drink real scotch or bourbon, etc. as opposed to their homemade swill which even they said often tasted terrible.
Of course, there was also free booze in the C.O.'s liquor cabinet.
I want a dry, arid, barren martini. I want it so dry, Mr. Quoc, that it could be declared a disaster area.
They probably went to the bars to socialize and also drink real scotch or bourbon, etc. as opposed to their homemade swill which even they said often tasted terrible.