Green’s Dictionary of Slang

fusil oil n.

(US) whisky.

1871		Bolivar Bull. (TN) 15 Apr. 1/3: The Slang of Our Day [...] Fusil oil is now named for whisky.
1872		Sydney Morn. Herald 11 jan. 3/5: [A] third [contributor to a US feminist paper] coaches the sex in the latest forms of slang, impressing upon the feminine mind that the newest name for money is ‘spondulix,’ that ‘fusil oil’ stands for whisky, ‘going through you’ for robbery, ‘he’s upon his back’ for bankruptcy.
1875		Pacific Commercial Advertiser (Honolulu) 30 Jan. 4/5: Bourbon, or rye whisky [...] commonly called fusil oil whisky [...] also contains vinegar, syprup, oil of Boston [...] and other poisonous chemicals.
1876		St Louis Globe-Democrat 19 Jan. n.p.: They nominate ‘bottled electricity,’ ‘lemonade with a stick in it,’ ‘jig-water,’ ‘budge,’ ‘bilge-water,’ ‘bug-juice,’ ‘rat-poison,’ ‘fusel-oil,’ ‘red-eye,’ ‘liquid ointment,’ ‘cut nails,’ ‘hard head,’ ‘benzine,’ ‘nitro-glycerine,’ ‘oil,’ ‘tea,’ ‘eye-water,’ ‘chain- lightning.’ [...] they all want the same article, alcohol, more or less diluted.
1877		Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (4th edn) 357: Liquor [...] Fusil Oil.
1883		Highland Wkly News (Hillsboro, OH) 18 Apr. 2/3: If you want Bright’s disease, drink fusil oil whiskey.
1892		W. Norr China Town 73: The ‘dope’ and fusel oil dispensed in the neighboring saloons as whiskey [HDAS].
1900		T.J. Carey Hebrew Yarns and Dialect Humor 81/2: ‘Fusil oil’ is the new name for whiskey, / ‘Spondulix’ cognomen for pelf.
1901		W.A. Sun. Times (Perth) 1 Sept. 1/1: The question, ‘Which “fusel” will you take?’ is now the convivial greeting. [...] There is fusel and fusel, according to which analyst samples the whisky.
1904		Ade True Bills 122: He would take the Gang down into a thirst-Parlor and buy Fusel Oil.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 15 May 1/1: When the invaders’ liquor ran out a messenger was despatched to the business house for a supply [and] when it leaked out from where the fusel was fetched the party broke up in hysterics!!
1909		Intermountain Catholic 13 Feb. 6/1: Other publicans [...] given yeh nothin’ except fusil oil, bud [sic] my whisky knocks the cobwebs off yer heart.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 17 Apr. 2nd sect. 9/1: They Say [...] Thai a Perth main street was recently enlivened by a jovial John Hop. That having met some aforetime ‘clients,’ they filled him with fusel.

In derivatives

fuselry (n.)

(Aus.) a public house.

1905

Sun. Times (Perth) 5 Nov. 1/4: The speedy departure of a Norseman nark is earnestly desired [...] he played it low down in a Hay street fuselry the other night.

In compounds

fusel-drummer (n.)

(Aus.) a publican.

1904

Sun. Times (Perth) 11 Dec. 1/1: The monniker of a frisky and fat fusil-drummer is mud with two Port pump-pullers.

fusil-fakir (n.)

(Aus.) a publican.

1901

W.A. Sun. Times (Perth) 15 Sept. 1/1: Gory stoushing matches are also allowed to take place daily on the premises of this cock-sure grog vendor [and] it is up to this fusel fakir to subscribe to the hospital he so consistently helps to fill.