Alcohol tainted with methanol suspected of killing at least 19 people in Costa Rica

CBS News ^ | July 22, 2019 | JASON SILVERSTEIN

[DannyTN]

Dominican Republic connection?

[Track9]

Comes from the beginnings of a moonshine batch. You’re supposed to chuck this stuff.

[tflabo]

Stick with the beer and wine. Another crown jewel contribution from Latin America.

[cuban leaf]

he government has confiscated about 30,000 bottles of alcohol suspected to be poisoned, under the brands Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Estrella, Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Aguardiente Timbuka and Molotov Aguardiente.

---

I see Maker’s Mark, Greygoose and Johnny Walker are not in that list.

Heck, Kirkland isn’t on that list.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Today I went shopping for a 93 year-old and when I got to the supermarket I saw beer and wine on the list.

[ClearCase_guy]

I guess its hard to find decent rum in that part of the world ...

[BipolarBob]

The concentration needed to be lethal suggests intentional as the methanol at the first of distillation is a small amount. Yes, it needs to be chucked but this is too much for accidental moonshine efforts. I think somebody either thought methanol was a cheap way to boost alcohol content or this was to kill the tourist trade in CR (literally).

[Track9]

Good to know.

[jonascord]

I wonder if this is just an industrial accident? Apply Hanlon's Razor:

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

It would be no great trick for someone at the plant to be in a hurry, and bottle an entire still run.

[\/\/ayne]

Candy's dandy but liquor is quicker
you can drink all the liquor down in Costa Rica...

Well, apparently you can't.

[Yaelle]

There has to be a Dominican connection. All those tourists getting sick and dying after drinking from their minibar.

[Yaelle]

Thank goodness the ahauasca is still untainted ;)

[Boomer]

A lot of people died during prohibition the same way. Methanol is the first product that comes out of the still. It must be removed or it poisons the entire batch.

Using radiators with lead as a still also created lots of problems with lead poisoning.

Cutting corners or the unintended consequences...

[tbw2]

I think the Dominican Republic deaths are murders, because we do NOT see reports of locals dying the same way.

[PeterPrinciple]

alcohol vs methonol

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=alcohol+vs+methanol&view=detail&mid=8EC363F0A88074742CDC8EC363F0A88074742CDC&FORM=VIRE

[PGR88]

Uh - I predicted that when this story first broke.

I saw the same thing in Asia about 30. years ago.

On the other hand though, its still amazing to me though what some truly degraded sub-humans will do for a few $$.

[headstamp 2]

[[[Comes from the beginnings of a moonshine batch. You’re supposed to chuck this stuff.]]]

Or sell it to the World of Outlaws racing teams.

[Truthoverpower]

Drink only wine and beer from sealed containers you purchase

Then you can’t go wrong

[DannyTN]

Drink only wine and beer from sealed containers you purchase in America Then you can’t go wrong

Fixed it.