# What's the straight dope on "Wine-os"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598 "2005-10-10T17:23:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/1 "2005-10-10T17:23:43Z")
I’ve always wondered about the stereotypical wine-o, drinking Thundrebird out of a bottle in a brown bag. Why wine? If an alcoholic is drinking to get drunk, wouldn’t ethanol in a different form be more effective (grain, vodka)? Is it purely a question of cost? _Does_ cheap wine give the most bang for the buck? ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/2 "2005-10-10T17:38:30Z")
Cost would most likely be the main reason. Low cost, relatively high alcohol. Thunderbird is around 18%. [Here’s an interesting article about cheap wines.](http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1997/apr/04-10-97/arts/arts3.html) And of course, don’t pass up [Bumwine](http://www.bumwine.com). ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/3 "2005-10-10T17:55:18Z")
> [@psycat90](#): > > Cost would most likely be the main reason. Low cost, relatively high alcohol. Thunderbird is around 18%. > > [Here’s an interesting article about cheap wines.](http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1997/apr/04-10-97/arts/arts3.html) > > And of course, don’t pass up [Bumwine](http://www.bumwine.com). Thunderbird? Get yourself some Mad Dog 20/20, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/4 "2005-10-10T18:36:04Z")
It’s not an OS unto itself, it’s just an environment capable of executing Windows binaries without running Windows. Huh??? Oh. _That_ kind of wino. Ummm…[Wild Irish Rose](http://www.bumwine.com/wildirishrose.html) is formaldehyde, babes. Any distilled spirits that could get you drunker faster than this shit would ulcerate your stomach and throat lining and make you throw up too often. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/5 "2005-10-10T18:45:31Z")
Recovering wino here. I simply like wine better than any other liquor, and since I was “only” drinking wine, I didn’t consider myself an alcoholic (I think a lot of beer drinking alcoholics use the same denial system). ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/6 "2005-10-10T19:12:54Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > It’s not an OS unto itself, it’s just an environment capable of executing Windows binaries without running Windows. I had the same thought. [hangs head] I’m a big ol’ geek. ---
**Author:** ![John\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@John\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_F)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/7 "2005-10-10T19:20:38Z")
How about these factors: Requires no mixers, _convenience_. 15-18% alc. is a good match for the human body to establish and maintain the desired level of drunkenness for extended periods of time. (from my personal "doubly blinded” studies), _efficiency_. Can be purchased from any convenience store vs. liquor store, _availability_. All of this points to bang for the buck. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/8 "2005-10-10T19:25:52Z")
I was hoping “Wine-Os” might be some interesting new breakfast cereal (Now with more hair of the dog)! Oh, well. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/9 "2005-10-10T19:29:51Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I had the same thought. [hangs head] I’m a big ol’ geek. Well, I thought it was a new brand of breakfast cereal. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/10 "2005-10-10T19:31:23Z")
Oooh, bad pun simulpost. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/11 "2005-10-10T20:14:36Z")
Thanks for all the ideas. For anyone who has not heard of “pruno”, the prisoner’s answer to wine: [http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm](http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/12 "2005-10-10T20:28:12Z")
In Paul Brickhill’s Book **The Great Escape** they describe making “Raisin Hooch”, which sounds suspiciously like your Pruno. They did say that it tasted awful, but they didn’t convey the awfulness the Pruno article does. They also mentioned a Polish chemist who could add stuff to the alcoholic stuff they made that turned it into a good imitation of other alcoholic beverages – if you couldn’t accurately remember what those tasted like. “The fastidious” distilled some of the hooch they made. In the film, they’re shown making relatively clean moonshine from fermented potatoes and a still. Awful enough, but I suspect reality was much closer to Pruno. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/13 "2005-10-10T22:24:25Z")
Remembering the classic George Carlin bit: _Double-you, eye, enn, oh. WINO radio. Wonderful WINO!_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-wine-os/325598/14 "2005-10-10T23:23:35Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Thanks for all the ideas. > > For anyone who has not heard of “pruno”, the prisoner’s answer to wine: > [http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm](http://www.blacktable.com/gillin030901.htm) Steve from [thesneeze.com](http://thesneeze.com) details his adventures making prison wine: [The Sneeze - Half zine. Half blog. Half not good with fractions.](http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000373.php) The whole Steve, Don’t Eat It! section is pretty funny.