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A blowtorch is an alcoholic cocktail invented by members of the 1928 Byrd Antarctic Expedition. The recipe calls for mixing lemon powder with grain alcohol and diluting the mixture with ice until it's drinkable.
As prohibition was in effect in the United States in 1928, it was illegal for American citizens to possess or consume alcohol. However, Richard Byrd got around this prohibition by requesting 2,000 gallons of alcohol for medicinal purposes. Prior to the expedition, Richard Byrd asked The Insulin Company to develop a dried fruit powder that contained vitamin C in an effort to prevent scurvy. The Byrd expedition carried large quantities of lime juice and lemon powders.
Dr. F. Dana Coman, the expedition's physician, and the man with the keys to the liquor supply, took some of the grain alcohol and mixed it with the lemon powder and the crushed orange juice concentrate. The men dubbed this extremely potent drink a "blowtorch." Bryd himself participated in the festivities and every couple of weeks, he would authorize a tub of blowtorches to be made up and a party held to help the men relax and unwind during the long winter.