“The Blueberry Solution” is a home distilling book.
Anthony: Your current book “The Blueberry Solution” says on the front cover that it’s “a better investment in hard times than gold or silver” How so?
Argyle: There is no better investment right now than a still for both survival and for return on investment (ROI). It was so in Colonial times and it is so again today. For less than $1,000 you can put away a tool that will not only assure your survival in case of a societal breakdown but will also provide up to 2600% immediate return on your investment, a much higher and more certain ROI than gold or silver.
Anthony: That is a bold statement, I know to be true. What exactly is “The Blueberry Solution”?
Argyle: It’s a play on words. You can legally make blueberry brandy using store bought vodka and fresh blueberries or other fresh fruit so it is an easy way to for novices to get started making their own high quality and inexpensive alcoholic beverages at home. It is also an excellent survival strategy should the worst happen. With a good still you can purify water from any source and make fuel for your vehicles, or in a crisis you can make alcohol for medicinal purposes or booze that you can trade for any goods or services that you might want or need.
Anthony: Why is a still such a good investment?
Argyle: “The Blueberry Solution” tells the history of distilling which is also the history of money, and of course that is also the history of tyranny and taxation. Tyrants have always tried to control the production of alcohol and taxed it heavily to finance control over their subjects. Even today, the Citizens of most states are forced to purchase booze from the state and pay upwards of 2600% for the privilege. There are few if any investments that will immediately offer such a potentially high rate return on investment should Citizens choose to make their own. Washington State for instance currently charges $26.03 per gallon of spirits that cost less than a dollar to make (2600%) for instance. While we are not advocating the making of illegal moonshine we are pointing out that there is a growing trend by those that want to make a political statement andt hose that want to make their own high quality beverages themselves much like craft brewing and it is often done by the same folks.
Anthony: How did you come to write “The Blueberry Solution”?
Argyle: People who read my last book “Self Reliance” were emailing me to ask if they should be buying gold? “Self-Reliance” (now out of print) was written before the last Presidential election and was about living off the grid if Obama was elected and the Democrats gained control of both houses of Congress. Of course that happened and now the country is a mess and readers are even more concerned. My response was that if they could afford to park money in precious metals then they should, but if they were concerned about survival and are already putting away a generator, food storage, etc. that they should buy an emergency refluxing tower still, a “survival still”, so that they could cheaply and easily produce a commodity that they could trade for any goods or services they might need in a financial meltdown.
Anthony: Why do you feel purchasing a still is important?
Argyle: Whiskey was money in Colonial times, and could become money again if our government continues to print paper money around the clock, spend money it doesn’t have, and devalue our currency. Rising prices are the response of commodity suppliers (like oil producers) who are simply trying to maintain the value of their products in the face of rapidly declining purchasing power of the dollar. Simply put, inflation is a direct result of the devaluation of our currency and runaway inflation is a distinct possibility although it is ignored by the mass media. This pending financial crisis is examined in the book and exposed as the most important issue of our times. The upcoming election is probably the most important since the Civil War and prudent people are beginning to realize this and to do something about it.
Anthony: How does owning a still provide a survival strategy?
Argyle: An emergency still is a relatively inexpensive investment (less than a thousand dollars) that allows the owner to produce a commodity that is in high demand no matter what happens (it’s also fun to use). When you can cheaply and easily produce a commodity that has such widespread appeal you assure the survival of your family and even a way to prosper in very hard times. In Colonial America a man’s still had more value to him that anything else except his rifle, his knife and his horse. With it he could get anything that he couldn’t make himself, he could escape the rigors of a rough existence, and he could entertain his friends, especially members of the opposite sex.
Anthony: Why do you recommend a copper reflux tower still and what are its advantages?
Argyle: A tower still can produce alcohol pure enough to use as fuel (ethanol). Other types of stills will make whiskey but not ethanol fuel. You can obtain a free permit to make up to 10,000 gallons of ethanol fuel a year to run your vehicles, cook with, light your home, etc. and in an emergency you can cut that fuel in half and have white whiskey to barter with or use yourself.
Anthony: Can you legally make alcohol?
Argyle: Yes, the making and use of ethanol fuel is actually encouraged by the government and you can also legally make other useful products like fragrances, solvents, vinegar and especially pure water from any source. A reliable source of pure drinking water is probably the most essential part of any survival plan. Alcohol is also valuable for medicinal uses and of course alcoholic beverages are an excellent barter medium and always have been.
Anthony: What all is covered in “The Blueberry Solution”?
Argyle: The book explores the history of distilling and especially the history of distilling in America, the reason that we are in our present economic predicament and what we can do about it, and it also explains the different types of stills and how they are used to produce various kinds of alcoholic beverages and other products. It is a simple step-by-step approach to distilling at home and even offers recipes. It is an entertaining and practical look at a survival strategy that is overlooked by most including survivalists, the so-called “preppers” and many others.
Anthony: I see you updated your book recently to second edition of “The Blueberry Solution” so what is in it and why did you update the book?
Argyle: The 2nd edition places more emphasis on alcohol as a fuel because the price of oil and gas are rising and will inevitably rise as our currency is devalued. There may be temporary relief until after the election as Obama and the Democrats try to hold down gas prices in order to help their reelection chances but their stated goal is to drive up the cost of fossil fuels in favor of s-called “green” energy but the reality is that we are a petroleum based economy and we have plentiful fuel resources right here at home, enough o last for hundreds of years and certainly until we have the technology to make the transition. These “green” solutions are more about control than anything else. Meanwhile we are essentially broke and our government is so corrupt that it is doing nothing about it.
Anthony Zaca: Are you working on anything else?
Argyle: Yes, my next book is called “Whiskey Farm” and is the logical next step in home distilling. Just as “The Blueberry Solution” is about having and using a survival still, “Whiskey Farm” is about using a larger still and having a small farm to produce enough ethanol to run an enterprise. As a real estate developer and builder I am using my experience to help others to locate, obtain, set up and operate a small farm to not only live off the grid but to thrive no matter what happens in the outside world. It also provides an excellent lifestyle for those that are so inclined. Even if we somehow manage to survive the mountain of debt that is crippling our economy, we need to consider going back to the farm and technological innovation now provides us the means to live easily and very well with all of the modern conveniences without the necessity of living in the city. Satellite broadband, television, and data transfer means that we can telecommute and make a good living without the problems inherent in city life, especially if there are dislocations in the economy, supply and delivery chains, critical services, etc.
Anthony: Where can people buy “The Blueberry Solution”?
Argyle: The book is available everywhere such as Amazon.
Anthony: Is there anything that you would like to add?
Argyle: Yes, the past is gone and the future will likely take care of itself so long as we seize the day and prepare. I like the Latin phrase Carpe-Diem which literally means “seize the day” and because I write books on distilling I also like to offer “Cheers”.
