liquor storage in 5 gallon water containers for bar?

[ConnieH]

I have this idea that will reduce the amount of plastic liquor bottles we have to haul out after the burn - transferring all the vodka we buy into a 5 gallon water container in Winnemucca. I'm thinking of using a water cooler bottle since my "aquatainers" seem to have a "taste" to them and I don't want plastic tasting vodka. A 5 gallon container will hold 10 1.75 liter bottles, the same amount we brought last year for our personal use and our contribution to our bar.

If I can get the major contributors in camp to do this, we'll cut down on a lot of bottles! It was a daily chore last year, smashing plastic bottles, finding a place for the glass that some people donated (ugh), and at the end we had several huge garbage bags full of plastic to recycle. I'd guess we went through at least 100+ bottles.

I was originally thinking of keeping our personal 5g bottle in our yurt and bringing to the bar a smaller bottle that I'd refill periodically during the week from our personal stash, but someone suggested also having a 5g in the bar for people to "dump" into (the same brand of vodka, which we'd coordinate), then they take their "dumping" bottle back to their personal space instead of it ending up in the bar trash. We could then dispense vodka out of the 5g for bar drinks.

Has anyone tried this? Do you see any holes in the plan? Would we get in any trouble with the State liquor board at the burn dispensing out of the 5g (if they even noticed or checked, vodka looks a lot like water )? We'd transport our stash from Winnemucca buried way in the back of the car so it wouldn't be considered an "open container" since no one can reach it.

[Lord Of Ruin]

I have this idea that will reduce the amount of plastic liquor bottles we have to haul out after the burn - transferring all the vodka we buy into a 5 gallon water container in Winnemucca. I'm thinking of using a water cooler bottle since my "aquatainers" seem to have a "taste" to them and I don't want plastic tasting vodka. A 5 gallon container will hold 10 1.75 liter bottles, the same amount we brought last year for our personal use and our contribution to our bar.

If I can get the major contributors in camp to do this, we'll cut down on a lot of bottles! It was a daily chore last year, smashing plastic bottles, finding a place for the glass that some people donated (ugh), and at the end we had several huge garbage bags full of plastic to recycle. I'd guess we went through at least 100+ bottles.

I was originally thinking of keeping our personal 5g bottle in our yurt and bringing to the bar a smaller bottle that I'd refill periodically during the week from our personal stash, but someone suggested also having a 5g in the bar for people to "dump" into (the same brand of vodka, which we'd coordinate), then they take their "dumping" bottle back to their personal space instead of it ending up in the bar trash. We could then dispense vodka out of the 5g for bar drinks.

Has anyone tried this? Do you see any holes in the plan? Would we get in any trouble with the State liquor board at the burn dispensing out of the 5g (if they even noticed or checked, vodka looks a lot like water )? We'd transport our stash from Winnemucca buried way in the back of the car so it wouldn't be considered an "open container" since no one can reach it.

This just in from the "make more work for yourself for little actual gain" department.

Seriously though....this really won't help much, and as you mentioned if the cops come around, they might think you were trying to hide what you were serving to whom, etc.

Why not just think through a good system to haul it out? I.e. how to crush the plastic ones, and smash the glass ones (inside a heavy canvas workbag with a small mallet works great) then throw it all into heavy contractor plastic bags.

LoR

[mdmf007]

Sounds like a good way to conserve space and reduce. As far as letitng people top it off, id worry about the vodka getting adulterated with something you don't want in there.

Id let a trusted member of your camp receive gifts and top it off yourself.

You could also get a hold of kegs as well. They are stainless do not impart a flavor into their contents and are sturdier than coolers.

[ConnieH]

Why not just think through a good system to haul it out? I.e. how to crush the plastic ones, and smash the glass ones (inside a heavy canvas workbag with a small mallet works great) then throw it all into heavy contractor plastic bags.

LoR

We've been hauling it out for years, we are experts on crushing, smashing - we do have a good system, but if we can reduce the overall amount of bottles that even hit the playa, it's less work in the end. Sort of like removing all your packaged food from the outer packages

Trustworthy sources would be key, never thought about adulterated booze since we don't fly that way...

[Dr. Pyro]

This isn't exactly the same, but similar. For years Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro brought cases of wine out to the playa. One time a case feel in the RV smashing it and our vino to bits. What we have done now is for the wine we serve during the week, we bring it out in stainless steel containers, using CO2 to dispense it. No more bottles. Saves on space, weight, eliminates broken glass, and makes the entire process so much easier. No bottles to open, to corks to throw out, no glass to worry about. If you can do something similar I would strongly suggest it. And we never had a problem with the LEOs serving it "on tap".

[Ugly Dougly]

Not sure I would drink from an unmarked vessel.

[unjonharley]

This isn't exactly the same, but similar. For years Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro brought cases of wine out to the playa. One time a case feel in the RV smashing it and our vino to bits. What we have done now is for the wine we serve during the week, we bring it out in stainless steel containers, using CO2 to dispense it. No more bottles. Saves on space, weight, eliminates broken glass, and makes the entire process so much easier. No bottles to open, to corks to throw out, no glass to worry about. If you can do something similar I would strongly suggest it. And we never had a problem with the LEOs serving it "on tap".

Tell me again Pyro.. When was the last time "you" saw wine that didn't come out of s box

[knowmad]

Not sure I would drink from an unmarked vessel.

What brand of water you drinking? That Wet stuff or That H2O crap?

[ConnieH]

This isn't exactly the same, but similar. For years Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro brought cases of wine out to the playa. One time a case feel in the RV smashing it and our vino to bits. What we have done now is for the wine we serve during the week, we bring it out in stainless steel containers, using CO2 to dispense it. No more bottles. Saves on space, weight, eliminates broken glass, and makes the entire process so much easier. No bottles to open, to corks to throw out, no glass to worry about. If you can do something similar I would strongly suggest it. And we never had a problem with the LEOs serving it "on tap".

Thanks! Good to know it's been done with success - what type of stainless steel containers do you use?

Now that I think more about it, using one or two of the 1.75 liter vodka bottles that we purchased the vodka in to dispense out of at the bar, since it would be the same vodka, would probably be the best idea. Trust me, you'd get a clean drink from our bar, just as you would from Pyro. Well, the vodka is clean anyway...who knows what's in that mixer?!? LOL...really, I'm less concerned about potential tampering, our campmates are all trustworthy, and if someone from outside is going to tamper with our liquor, there's nothing we could do to stop it if we don't see them do it. We usually shut the bar down when we run out of liquor around 4am, until then there is always a camp member bartending.

[Ugly Dougly]

Not sure I would drink from an unmarked vessel.

What brand of water you drinking? That Wet stuff or That H2O crap?

Don't worry! It's "vodka"!

[knowmad]

Not sure I would drink from an unmarked vessel.

What brand of water you drinking? That Wet stuff or That H2O crap?

Don't worry! It's "vodka"!

My people call it fire water. but yeah!

[Ugly Dougly]

You might as well leave your sippy cup at home then.

[Token]

Old Pepsi or Coke 5 gallon steel kegs. I recon this is what Doc uses.

Very popular with home brewers.

They run ~ $10-20 a pop plus you need ~ $2.00 worth of new rubber o-rings and whatnot.

The CO2 is what costs big $$$. Maybe like $100 or somesuch if you don't get a regulator.

[Bluemandrew]

This isn't exactly the same, but similar. For years Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro brought cases of wine out to the playa. One time a case feel in the RV smashing it and our vino to bits. What we have done now is for the wine we serve during the week, we bring it out in stainless steel containers, using CO2 to dispense it. No more bottles. Saves on space, weight, eliminates broken glass, and makes the entire process so much easier. No bottles to open, to corks to throw out, no glass to worry about. If you can do something similar I would strongly suggest it. And we never had a problem with the LEOs serving it "on tap".

Thanks! Good to know it's been done with success - what type of stainless steel containers do you use?

Now that I think more about it, using one or two of the 1.75 liter vodka bottles that we purchased the vodka in to dispense out of at the bar, since it would be the same vodka, would probably be the best idea. Trust me, you'd get a clean drink from our bar, just as you would from Pyro. Well, the vodka is clean anyway...who knows what's in that mixer?!? LOL...really, I'm less concerned about potential tampering, our campmates are all trustworthy, and if someone from outside is going to tamper with our liquor, there's nothing we could do to stop it if we don't see them do it. We usually shut the bar down when we run out of liquor around 4am, until then there is always a camp member bartending.

Indeed Token has it correct. 5 gallon soda kegs (Called a Cornelius/Corny keg IIRC) Dispensed with a party tap system like you would use for homebrew.

I bought one of these setups a while ago for beer, I think I spent under 200 bucks for everything (including some fairly pricey adapters you won't need for the soda kegs) Bring enough CO2...