Scotch in a pewter flask...

[RKHessel]

I just found a solid pewter flask that I bought on a trip over 10 years ago. I had filled it with scotch then to mark the occasion of a friends wedding.

I don't want to throw it out, because his anniversary is coming up and I think it would be kind of neat to have a belt from it to mark the anniversary. However, I am worried about the effects of 10 years of not-too-great scotch on the inside of a pewter flask.

Is this stuff still safe to drink, or is there any chance that the pewter has leached into the alcohol, thereby making it undrinkable?

Thanks for your advice!

[Carolyn Tillie]

Very interesting question...

Antique pewter has lead in it -- and I've been trying to figure out the date when that was changed. Modern pewter is lead-free and is really 95% tin with copper and antimony for strength. So I'd like to doubt that your flask is real pewter in which case you could get lead poisoning, however your Scotch may not taste very good and have a "tinny" metallic taste to it.

If you think your flask is in any way "antique," then throw away the contents and don't risk your health on it.

[RKHessel]

Thanks, Carolyn!

I am positive that it is not antique, I bought it from a Royal Selangor store in a mall

So, just a tinny taste, no danger from the tin or antinomy, right?

Thanks!

[NulloModo]

Even if it did leach a bit, one belt for an anniversary isn't going to kill/hurt you. Heavy metal poisoning takes time and multiple exposures, a lot more dose would be necessary than what a shot of scotch could do.