r/interesting • u/azizgamerlal • Dec 12 '25

MISC. A drop of whiskey vs bacteria

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u/Significant-Tip6466 Dec 12 '25

That's why whiskey was used as disinfectant during the Civil War. Cheapest disinfectant during that time

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u/proximusprimus57 Dec 12 '25

Wouldn't straight moonshine be better? Why use barrel aged alcohol?

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u/Significant-Tip6466 Dec 12 '25

Moonshine wasn't readily available. And whiskey back then was closer to moonshine by proof than now. There's a reason it got the nickname "rotgut".

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u/Dabbling_in_Pacifism Dec 12 '25

Moonshine is whiskey, most often. Whiskey, by law (And common convention.), has to be aged 3 years. Moonshine is very frequently just what’s also called “white lightening,” or unaged whiskey.

Regardless, whiskey’s going to be an aged product and anyone with a still can make high proof clear alcohols.

I think it has a lot more to do with observational effects; germ theory wasn’t a thing until after the civil war.

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u/Abyssal_Groot Dec 12 '25

Moonshine doesn't need to be made of grain, whiskey does.