as in bootleg
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Recent Examples of rotgut
As alcohol bans lingered, poorer quality substitutes increasingly overwhelmed the black market: bathtub gin, pure grain alcohol and other rotguts.
—
David Reamer | Alaska History,
Anchorage Daily News,
23 July 2023
But mingling with Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner, cocktail in hand, makes even a rotgut movie a top-shelf experience.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
16 May 2023
Born in 1912 to a Kashmiri family in the northern state of Punjab, Manto fell under the spell of Gorky and Poe, not to mention the rotgut that would kill him at the age of forty-two.
—
Parul Sehgal,
The New Yorker,
26 Dec. 2022
During that time, rotgut liquor wasn’t ideal for drinking straight, which made speakeasies get creative, birthing some delicious cocktails that endure to this day.
—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Nov. 2021
Moonshine that falls into the rotgut category could be dangerous and even deadly for anyone desperate enough to drink it.
—
Alan Ashe,
CNN,
7 June 2018
David Reamer | Alaska History,
Anchorage Daily News,
23 July 2023
But mingling with Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner, cocktail in hand, makes even a rotgut movie a top-shelf experience.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
16 May 2023
Born in 1912 to a Kashmiri family in the northern state of Punjab, Manto fell under the spell of Gorky and Poe, not to mention the rotgut that would kill him at the age of forty-two.
—
Parul Sehgal,
The New Yorker,
26 Dec. 2022
During that time, rotgut liquor wasn’t ideal for drinking straight, which made speakeasies get creative, birthing some delicious cocktails that endure to this day.
—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Nov. 2021
Moonshine that falls into the rotgut category could be dangerous and even deadly for anyone desperate enough to drink it.
—
Alan Ashe,
CNN,
7 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotgut
Noun
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The audio is a fairly even mix of sound desk recordings and fan bootlegs, with some spliced together to get the best audio quality.
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For most New Yorkers looking to savor the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years, a commemorative T-shirt—perhaps purchased bootleg outside Madison Square Garden—will have to do.
Noun
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The bagpipes, the booze, the kilts!
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The boat was later found to contain 61 empty and partially empty booze bottles and cans, after FWC officers pulled the boat from the bay a day after the crash.
Noun
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Despite the teetotaling decision, stacks of beer, including Michelob Ultra, Kona Big Wave, Bud Light and Budweiser sat behind the register as workers informed attendees that alcohol would be sold beginning Thursday.
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This is essentially the Philippines’ lambanog, tuba distilled, with a high alcohol proof and a bite like rustic sugarcane alcohol.
Noun
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Founded in 1703, Barbados’ Mount Gay Rum bills itself as the world’s oldest continuously running rum distillery.
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The Malibu coconut rum, pineapple and coconut flavors can be enhanced by adding a fruit swirl of your choosing — strawberry, blackberry, mango or watermelon.
Noun
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Clark's dad took a red-eye from Denver to be there for his son's major win.
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There was also a nice moment with his dad, who surprised him after flying to New York on a red-eye Sunday morning.
Noun
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To try some of that moonshine yourself, stop by Adventure Distilling Company for tastings and live music in the summertime.
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Yes, this $1.1 million purchase from the Keeneland yearling sale in September of 2023 looked better than a fresh bottle of moonshine in the Aristides, but his hall of fame conditioner will leave the Breeders’ Cup speculation to others for now.
Noun
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But some of those who weathered economic storms stuck around to learn, tweak, and tinker their way to good hooch.
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But the end of colonial rule galvanized a new frontier spirit around booze, with Americans shunning the sherry, port, and brandy favored by the stiff Europeans, and instead leaning into their own hooch created by a mash of whatever grains were on hand.
Noun
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Bartenders and home mixers leaned on citrus, sugar, and other ingredients to mask the watered-down, bootlegged booze and harsh flavors found in homemade alternatives (like your bathtub gin).
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Burnett leaned into the character’s drinking habit, hiccupping through Miss Hannigan’s swigs from a bottle of bathtub gin.
Cite this Entry
“Rotgut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotgut. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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