Many inmates have an addiction to alcohol when they arrive at prison. Incarceration, however, has suspended the evening cocktail hour—at least officially. Yet the desire doesn’t disappear. It’s a thirst that seeks gratification.
If anything, the prison community is creative. It comes up with solutions. For those who simply can’t live without a cocktail, it offers a substitute. It’s called pruno, but it’s not a cocktail for the faint of heart.
What is Pruno
Pruno is a homemade alcoholic beverage, sometimes called “prison wine” or “toilet wine.” It’s made of a variety of different ingredients, ranging from fruit and sugar to ketchup and bread. Prison inmates typically make this beverage using any available food items that will ferment into alcohol or flavor the result. Its intoxicating potency can vary from 2%-14%, which corresponds to a weak beer or to a fortified wine.
Its name dates back to 1936 and may come from the …show more content…
To this, add dry fruit, such as raisins or prunes. Pour this mixture into a plastic bag and squeeze the fruit into a mash. Now add the juice from the fruit cocktail, along with some water. If available, add some bread as a source of yeast. Seal the bag tightly.
Now heat the bag, perhaps with hot running water, for several minutes. Wrap towels around the bag to keep it warm. That promotes fermentation. Put the bag in a safe place that will remain undisturbed for a couple of days. After this, open the bag and add a hefty amount of white sugar, some ketchup, and perhaps a packet or two of Kool-Aid for flavor. Heat the mash again for several minutes. Then secure the bag as before and put in an undisturbed spot for a few days. Reheat daily for a few minutes to encourage fermentation. Now open the bag and filter the liquid from the mash. The isolated liquid is pruno, typically a sickly orange-tan color that smells as bad as it
If anything, the prison community is creative. It comes up with solutions. For those who simply can’t live without a cocktail, it offers a substitute. It’s called pruno, but it’s not a cocktail for the faint of heart.
What is Pruno
Pruno is a homemade alcoholic beverage, sometimes called “prison wine” or “toilet wine.” It’s made of a variety of different ingredients, ranging from fruit and sugar to ketchup and bread. Prison inmates typically make this beverage using any available food items that will ferment into alcohol or flavor the result. Its intoxicating potency can vary from 2%-14%, which corresponds to a weak beer or to a fortified wine.
Its name dates back to 1936 and may come from the …show more content…
To this, add dry fruit, such as raisins or prunes. Pour this mixture into a plastic bag and squeeze the fruit into a mash. Now add the juice from the fruit cocktail, along with some water. If available, add some bread as a source of yeast. Seal the bag tightly.
Now heat the bag, perhaps with hot running water, for several minutes. Wrap towels around the bag to keep it warm. That promotes fermentation. Put the bag in a safe place that will remain undisturbed for a couple of days. After this, open the bag and add a hefty amount of white sugar, some ketchup, and perhaps a packet or two of Kool-Aid for flavor. Heat the mash again for several minutes. Then secure the bag as before and put in an undisturbed spot for a few days. Reheat daily for a few minutes to encourage fermentation. Now open the bag and filter the liquid from the mash. The isolated liquid is pruno, typically a sickly orange-tan color that smells as bad as it