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Most popular US Whiskey drank by soldiers overseas in WWII?


avigo
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Not sure where to post this, but looking to try some new whiskey and I was curious if there was a popular US whiskey that soldiers drank overseas (that is still sold today). Did any specific distillers send over whiskey in care packages or anything?

 

Random question I know. Appreciate any info!

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Retired Army Noncom

I don't think whisky was all that available in Europe but they did enjoy all the other booze that was free, cognac, schnapps, Sambuca, vino and then there were the portable backpack stills. If they did get hold of any whisky, they became buddies with the scots. ;) In the end, I don't think they cared for the type, only the quantity. :D If they had a Class 6 in the year area, they might have had some American made booze available.

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BILL THE PATCH

I've always wanted to try vat 69 after watching band of Brothers, it was Lewis Nixon choice if drink. Unfortunately they don't make it anymore.

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

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BILL THE PATCH

Holy cow, are you kidding that's outrageous. Oh well I guess I'll never get to taste it. It must be some good stuff.

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

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Quartermaster

Officially -

 

WW2 officers received a liquor ration of 1 to 2 quarts of liquor per month.

 

Enlisted men only had a ration of beer - 3.2% beer at that and usually rather warm but still welcomed when available.

The enlisted men that didn't drink would sell or trade their ration to their drinking companions for other items such as money, tobacco or food items. Occasionally the non drinkers could opt for Coca Cola in place of beer (usually warm also.)

 

Unofficially -

 

All service men with a taste for alcohol would drink whatever they could obtain either by purchasing it or liberating the local available products. This was especially true in the European and Mediterranean theaters as there was a variety of spirits to be had. Unfortunately, the Pacific based troops were largely on isolated islands with little or no population centers to provide alcohol in any form so they had to be content with making their own spirits such as what was known as "Jungle Juice."

 

All servicemen welcomed any and all forms of booze that might make it to them via the US Mail in a "Care Package" from home!

 

 

My dad was an officer of a QM Truck Company and told of such a ration. He was not a drinker so he remembered either selling or trading it or occasionally giving his portion to the enlisted men for a particular job well done.

 

His commanding Captain left a diary that recounted that on Okinawa he encountered a Marine supply sergeant that was scrounging for unwanted liquor rations - seems he was running a side business on his own! He had access to cases of Coca Cola and took the liquor he found - popped the top of the Coke, poured in a thimble full of booze and then tapped the bottle cap back on the bottle --- these "pre-mixed" drinks then sold for $5.00 a bottle. My dad's commander had a couple of undrunk bottle of liquor and worked a trade where he received an unissued Colt 45 M1911A1 (still in the kraft box) which was listed as "lost" as a battlefield loss and unrecorded in the firearm inventory. That pistol made it home after the war as a undisclosed war souvenir!

 

Some period liquors that are still around today include:

Old Crow

Four Roses

Black & White

Old Overholt

Old Grand-Dad

Jim Beam

Jack Daniels

 

 

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Hi,

There are stories of soldiers drinking Calvados in Normandy,

a brandy made from apples.

 

I bought two bottles in St. Mere Eglise during the 50th Anniversary

of D-Day, one I drank over there, the other I still have.

 

They do sell it in the US, at some larger liquor stores.

 

It is good stuff !!!!!!

 

Douglas

 

 

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Vat 69 makes a much lesser quality offering. I inquired about it once and found that it was so near the floor it'd be so horrible that i actually apologized to the guy at the huge liquor store.

 

I figure if I'm going to drink scotch, it ain't gonna be blended.

 

I recently bought an original, unopened bottle of G&W Private Stock from 1941. Cost a pretty penny, but it sure was interesting. A few friends joined with their similarly dated bottles, and had a tasting.

 

Collecting "dusties" as we call them is a pretty wild hobby.

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Holy cow, are you kidding that's outrageous. Oh well I guess I'll never get to taste it. It must be some good stuff.

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

Makes me wonder what whiskey collecters think about some M-1 helmet or airborne patches prices :lol:

 

Rene

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Just checked. Those are vintage bottles, the "dusties" i mentioned. Always command a high premium.

 

As i said, the current Vat comes in plastic and is less than $20 a half gallon if i remember correctly.

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When i go to Louisville for military stuff at the SOS, my whiskey buddies go to prospect for rare bottles, new and old. Numerous times my friend has found bottles that are worth around a grand secondhand. He drive 6hours and watched the sun come up over the whiskey company's gift shop to get one. He most generally enjoyed his as the distiller intended rather than flip them.

 

Makes me wonder what whiskey collecters think about some M-1 helmet or airborne patches prices :lol:

 

Rene

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Vat 69 makes a much lesser quality offering. I inquired about it once and found that it was so near the floor it'd be so horrible that i actually apologized to the guy at the huge liquor store.

 

I figure if I'm going to drink scotch, it ain't gonna be blended.

 

I recently bought an original, unopened bottle of G&W Private Stock from 1941. Cost a pretty penny, but it sure was interesting. A few friends joined with their similarly dated bottles, and had a tasting.

 

Collecting "dusties" as we call them is a pretty wild hobby.

I'm a 'single malt' guy myself. VAT 69 is still available around here but I never tried it (and after reading your comment I think I never will ^_^)

post-169612-0-41113900-1515940387_thumb.png

 

Rene

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Retired Army Noncom

While stationed in Germany back in the 70s, our local Class 6 store was selling surplus booze from WWII. It went fast and was crap....IMO. I can't remember any of the labels but none were familiar. Purely a collectors market...

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I'll get a hold of my whiskey collector buddy and get it squared right back up.

 

I only go for smoke with scotch. I did have a distiller's select Lagavulin that i think wss finished in port barrels, it was very cool.

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For scotch, my buddy says the formula and label for J&B and White Horse haven't changed. I'm waiting on a US response.

 

A lot of American whiskeys have changed... Some very old labels are now fairly lackluster. I believe Guckenheimer was once a decent rye; and i have an empty bottle from 1913. Its another one of those ankle biters that are only mildly more palatable than rubbing alcohol!

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They've recently brought back something called "Chicken C o c k" which was a legit old time brand that was popular until the 50s when the distillery burned.

 

Very traditional 1900-1940s looking bottle.

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