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 album’s official versions smooth out some of the buzzy sibilance of the bootlegs, but Hold Onto Me Infinity accommodates lots of tasteful clangs and wubs.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
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But that wasn’t luck; the team did their research, including obtaining bootleg VHS copies of early edits and raw footage from other unscripted series, and hiring staff and crew who had worked on them.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The dark spirit might be more commonly thought of as a cozy, cool-weather sipper or associated with booze-forward drinks served up, but there’s plenty of reason to enjoy it in the summer too, and this cocktail proves why.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
What transpires is the best scene in the movie, following two people lifted by collaboration, bonded through booze and creativity, freely sharing notes on each other’s songs.—
Adam Graham,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
What's more is that the cocktail can be prepped alcohol-free.—
Lane Nieset,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
He will be required to attend an alcohol treatment program, Laboeuf’s attorney, Sarah Chervinsky, told the AP.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Local touches were everywhere, from an extensive collection of books ranging from South African chick-lit to memoirs of Nelson Mandela, Trevor Noah, and Siya Kolisi to a mini-bar stocked with gin, rum, and brandy made with Cape Fynbos plants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
James Thomas had a dream of one day opening his own daiquiri shop, serving the refreshing rum cocktails to celebratory Kansas Citians.—
Katelyn Umholtz,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
With his dad at Blue Bell Park after taking a red-eye flight from Los Angeles, Andrew delivered a 421-foot blast that his dad and the USC Trojans won’t soon forget.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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For sunshine, beautiful gardens, and sandy beaches—without a red-eye flight to Europe—book a trip to Coral Gables, Florida.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Today, Jones and his wife, Peg Hays, use this original still pot design to make award-winning, small-batch mash bill bourbons, moonshines, and more.—
Michelle Polizzi,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
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The nettle moonshine might also be behind Huldah’s new backbone.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
25 May 2026
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There’s the time the pair got ass drunk off hooch in the deep South at the kind of Geechie establishment that plays ZZ Hill, Johnny Taylor, and Clarence Carter records.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
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).—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Burnett leaned into the character’s drinking habit, hiccupping through Miss Hannigan’s swigs from a bottle of bathtub gin.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rotgut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotgut. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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