Liquor at Events

[reddcorp]

Re: Liquor at Events

Why, I find it quite pleasant to sit by a campfire after a days' action and enjoy a fine cigar or pipe whilst sipping fine brandy. Quite civilized, I think. And period. Moderation is the key.

Andrew W. Redd


Sir, don't forget to sign your full first and last names, in accordance with forum rules. Initials are not enough. Regards, Elizabeth Clark, Moderator.

[Rob]

Re: Liquor at Events

One group I was in tried moderation. It didn't work, due to the fact that some folks don't know the meaning of the word.

There were two guys in this unit who, after a drink or two, became very friendly and fun-loving, but after five or six, they became very beligerent and nasty. Other units did not want to have anything to do with us after a while - and it was all because of these two "gentlemen".

We could not very well tell one person not to drink, while allowing someone else to do so. Unfortunately, as is often the case, an outright ban had to be enacted for all.

[DougCooper]

Re: Liquor at Events

This is one of the very few areas where Army Regs from 1861 do not adequately cover the situation, due to the real world liability concerns discussed already. Dusty's post is exactly right.

The farb Shiloh event scheduled for Mar 2007 has an amazing rule that says you can't drink alcohol at their event less than 6 hours before a scheduled battle. Nothing about removal if intoxicated, or any other safety related words. It is quite easy to be legally drunk 6 hours after your last drink...10-12 hours is the minimum for most folks. That is an accident waiting to happen (followed shortly after by a lawsuit). They also have no minimum age rules for carrying a gun - as long as you have a parent or guardian note if you are under 18. You could be 12 years old the way it reads.

The alcohol in the parking lot culture often seen at what are supposed to be 24 hour events is counter to good order and discipline, like it would be in the real deal, but beyond serious penalties for intoxication of the participant, the other thing that ought to be done formally is a serious penalty for the unit. Throw it back on the leadership to police their members. Serious means banning the unit from a future event for a year (if annual) or sending them home from the current event. That would get folk's attention

Alcohol does not stay in the parking lot, it stays in the drinkers, with obvious consequences. Now a low key LH event with a daytime program only allows unwinding at a local establishment or two and can be a great time, but like anything else, you have to be able to perform the next day. That is especially true if you are working with NPS or another governmental entity, as it effects the reputation of the whole hobby and of the entity itself. I have been to a serious LH or two over the years where several key folks were less than 100% the next day - not good.

Alcohol in camp among the enlisted is against regs, so ought to be treated like the real deal if discovered. Among the officers it was legal, but the vast majority of officers did not imbibe beyond an occasional nip out of fairness, constitution and leadership. Openly drinking in front of the men is just bad leadership, and sharing with them ditto. Alcohol on campaign makes no sense at all and should simply not happen. Dale's comments are germane.

Beyond that I defer to Bill Watson's excellent post.

[PvtShot]

Re: Liquor at Events

This is a tricky subject...

To me, I enjoy a good swig of liquor at an event, whether it be a mainstream circus or a progressive immersion event. After a long day of picket, guard, and fatigue duty coupled with a long march and/or battle scenari0; I am in the mood for a good splash. Does that mean I start getting hammered like a binge-drinking college student... No, but I reserve the right to keep my mind well lubricated. As long as the only chance I have of hurting myself or others is twisting an ankle on the way to the latrines.

I don't go around offering everybody a taste of my whiskey and don't sit in a parking lot getting smashed with my keys in the ingnition blaring my stereo (easy way to get a DUI, happened to a friend of mine). Yes, there are some of us who go to an event and absolutley must get falling down drunk! Those people don't just drink uncontrollably at events, they do it everywhere and they are called "alcoholics". I have passed my limit a few times at assorted events and always paid the price the next morning.

I like to have a drink with my close pards to enhance my experience at an event, not because I need the stuff, just to make the weekend tolerable. Those special cases who can't live without being way under the influence either at an event or at home need HELP. Hopefully we are all understanding enough to do just that...

Good Day,
Eliot Toscano
(The Buckras)

[Crag Rat]

Re: Liquor at Events

Sirs,

While I agree that alcohol is a diuretic and has a deleterious affect on some more than others, I believe that the wiser course of action is to permit the use of alcohol within the structure of the company or the mess. This allows for the drinkers to be monitored wheras a policy that forbids drinking merely serves to drive those indulgents to drink alone absent any moderation or monitoring. This then increases the possibility of overindulgence, injury, and unpleasant encounters.

Respectfully submitted

William Carraway
No Person of Consequence
Member since 2003 regardless of what the profile says

[Rob]

Re: Liquor at Events

Does that mean I start getting hammered like a binge-drinking college student... No, but I reserve the right to keep my mind well lubricated.

It would seem that there is an exceedingly fine line between "hammered" and "well-lubricated". Maybe no difference at all.

As long as the only chance I have of hurting myself or others is twisting an ankle on the way to the latrines.

Of course, then your pards have to pull your weight, both figuratively and literally. So you're not only hurting yourself.

...not because I need the stuff, just to make the weekend tolerable.

Sounds like the same thing to me.

If you need something to make a weekend of reenacting "tolerable", as you say, then might it not be time to find something else to do?

[PvtShot]

Re: Liquor at Events

Rob,

First: There IS a difference between being "hammered" which to me is making an a#% out of yourself and "well lubricated" which I think of as being a little tipsy. But thats just me. I can handle myself just fine. If there isn't a difference to you then stick to milk.

Second: You don't know me, or my pards, and nobody carries my weight. The Buckras ride deep and we all share in the work no matter how bad we feel. Come do an event with us and see if you can keep up.

Last: Excuse me for a missed placed comma but you misunderstood me again. I meant "I have a sip or two to enhance my experience or spice it up a little NOT because I need it just to make the weekend toletrable" I have done plenty of events without the bottle. I was making commentary on how the alcoholics in this hobby and country need to be helped and not isolated.

Thank you,
Eliot Toscano
(The Buckras)

"You may have been born and bred in Georgia, but you aint nothing but a crumb here"

[Hank Trent]

Re: Liquor at Events

After a long day of picket, guard, and fatigue duty coupled with a long march and/or battle scenari0; I am in the mood for a good splash.

I'm curious for clarification. That seems to imply that the effort of an event occurs during the daytime, and evening/night is always a time to relax. But historically and at reenactments, there are a lot of situations where soldiers were still under stress and/or on duty in the evening or night. Suppose it's a long upcoming night of picket duty at an event, or orders to sleep on your arms, or to prepare for an assault before daylight, does that change anything?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[JoaquinNegras]

Re: Liquor at Events

Seems I must have missed something in all the opinions about drinking or not drinking, and that be what the real folks did, and not what modern folks think of other modern folks doing it. If one is going to be concerned with the stitches in a fellows drawers or the buttons on his jacket being authentic because research thus proves it true, then it seems that a bit of research into what the real fellows were doing and how they were dealt with by their officers for doing so would be the way to go. I can’t see being authentic in one thing but not in another. But then I don’t know much and I will take a pull on a fellows canteen if it got a little good whiskey in it. Don’t mean to step on any toes here, since I don’t know much and don’t pretend to know much, but I do know from research that a many of the real fellows didn’t mind getting wrapped around the axle now and then. I would also say, a stout shot of good whiskey before charging across some open ground and knowing what was waiting for me on the other side might be and order. That and a prayer to the good Lord to see me through. But for modern folks I suppose a little common sense might be in order as when and where to take a drink. And as you all know, common sense ain’t that common.

[PvtShot]

Re: Liquor at Events

Hank,

Yes that will change the situation. I wish there were more scenarios like that at events. I am not here to advocate getting sloshed at an event, but simply here to say that there is nothing wrong with taking a swig from a bottle with your good friends before a long night of staring into a camp fire. At an event like the Fighting Withdrawal when you are standing guard duty and have no clue where the enemy is or what his plans are, then you want to be as alert as possible. But pulling picket duty at on a remote campaigner site with the tent city within hearing distance listening to cans of Bud being cracked open, who cares if you are buzzed? Except maybe the Cpl. of the guard, but what he doesn't know won't hurt me. If I am busy and important tasks are about then I am on point and ready for anything and so are my brothers in arms. I hope this clears up any mis-understandings.

Regards,
Eliot Toscano
(The Buckras)

[Rob]

No, my name is not Casper Milquetoast.

Thirty-plus years of dealing with drunks in bars and clubs, and six months worth of dating an alcoholic woman tell me one thing: if you look for a reason to drink, you're going to find one.

As far as the comment about drinking milk... well, I won't even touch that one. Lots of folks equate drinking with being tough or macho. As you wish.

What you do is your business. I just don't want to get any of my body parts blown off by someone - you, or anyone else, for that matter - who decides that it's OK to be "well lubricated" during an event... whether period-correct or not.

[dusty27]

Re: Liquor at Events

Folks,

Don't come to this forum and tell us about what you do at mainstream/farb events.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7504

We don't want to hear it.

[vbetts]

Re: Period Liquor for Alcoholics

It's amazing what the Search feature will pull up. While reading _Sixty Years on the Brazos: The Life and Letters of Dr. John Washington Lockhart, 1824-1900_, by Mrs. Jonnie Lockhart Wallis, I ran across a reference to "metheglin."
I had to look it up (it seems to be a spiced mead) and then found it mentioned in this thread. The book is describing pre-Civil War Independence Day barbecues and speechifyings--

p.233 "Thus was spent the remainder of the day in joys that have now departed forever, or only remembered when there are new countries to be opened up. Nor was this the happiest portion of the audience by far, for the young American was there, likewise his sister. And, before I forget it, the old lady of the neighborhood had looked forward to this day with great solicitude for the strengthening of her exchequer and to provide herself with the articles which would aid her most. She had commenced beforehand to brew her persimmon beer and make a jug of metheglin. A day or so before the Fourth she had posted the old man off to the nearest country store with a pillow-case for flour, and a jug for molasses. These articles were to be purchased according to the amount required for mixing and making into ginger cakes, which she carefully prepared the day before in order to have them fresh and nice.

On the morning of the Fourth the old man would hitch up the cart, and by sun-up the old lady would have her stand of beer and jug of metheglin and basket of cakes, and be all ready to start for the grounds. Upon arriving there the oxen were unhitched from the cart and tethered to a tree, the tongue of the cart propped up on a forked stick so that the body would be on a level, the hind-gate taken out and the shop was open.

Before all this could take place the small boy and his small sister would appear, eagerly awaiting the opening to exchange slick "picayunes" and bits for a good square tin cupful of cider and ginger cake. And there they played and feasted until evening--the happiest creatures on the grounds.

Vicki Betts

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Period Liquor for Alcoholics

Ah! A real instance of someone actually making metheglin! I'd heard people mention the drink, and had seen references to it in medieval records, but hadn't seen any "recent" use.

I ran across this recipe, which is considerably pre-CW:

http://realbeer.com/spencer/Digby-recipes/recipe-94-09-28.html

I haven't tried it, mind. It soundeth rather complicated.

[Rob Weaver]

Re: Period Liquor for Alcoholics

Continuing the discussion of methigulin: Not a period reference in the least, but I grew up and lived for some time in rural northern Pennsylvania. Several of the elderly men of the community made methigulin when they were younger. In the local dialect, it was pronounced more like "methigulum." Universally hailed as a fiercely alcoholic bust-head. I suspect the reason you find few references to it was that it was considered a home-made expedient beverage. The people making it were not the most literate of our population, and didn't necessarily document their everyday lives well. When they did keep some sort of record, they didn't record mundane things they assumed the reader either already knew about or didn't want to know about. As well, country people are private. They all know what they're doing, but aren't going to share it. They're not really going to talk about something as controversial as their home-brewing projects (at least not until the 1970s!) Can you imagine the deacon of the local Baptist church having the pastor show up while he's in the middle of boiling up the next batch?
A word of caution if you're making methigulin/um: You don't need to boil it, although old recipes may say to. The water just needs to be hot enough to facilitate mixing the honey. If you leave it standing, you'll pick up wild yeast for fermentation, as they did. Most of our modern kitchens, however, are too clean for a healthy yeast community, so don't be afraid to introduce yeast. Period recipes call for a teacup of yeast often. Remember that's a liquid measure of yeast starter, not a cup of dry yeast! Make sure that your liquid is at room temperature before introducing yeast because heat will kill it. I like to let methigulin age 3 weeks in the jug, then bottle it and leave it for at least another 3 weeks. At the end of that time, it will be pleasantly carbonated and should make your ears ring. Meads have an interesting characteristic in that they continue to change character for up to a year after bottling, so if you're patient and open your work slowly, or make a large enough batch, you'll get to sample some interesting beverages.