Sorry for my English.
I would not like to argue to anyone here. I was not there at that time... But you can not even imagine how different those people. It is another culture, another mentality. And believe me, I know a little bit more about these people (unless there are some russians on this forum).
Vodka has tremendous value as currency. Why should they fill the extinguisher by vodka if for that amount (I gess, 3-4 gal ) they could find deiceing track or they could trade vodka for deiceing liquid everywhere. Use Vodka as an antifreeze - is very, very expensive and foolish. I know the story (how people valued that product), when the soldier - the fuel trackdriver traded eight tons of jet fuel by 5 halon homemede vodka(he was captured, but he was not alone). And I know many stories of how local farmers within 30 miles radius from airforce bases heat their homes. Guess how they paid for jet fuel? (Yes. Approximately 1 ton of fuel - 1 gal of vodka). So... I think that machanic just played the show for americans.