Every June 5th National Moonshine Day recognizes a beverage with a notorious record of blurring the lines of history and the law, turning ordinary men (and women) into criminals and common criminals into legends.
- Moonshine traditionally is an illegally distilled spirit. Mostly made from a corn mash, moonshine is a distilled whiskey that is typically produced by an individual illegally without a permit.
- Also known as white lightning, mountain dew, homebrew, hillbilly pop, rotgut, and too many more to list here.
- Distilling skills first came to the United States with the Scotch-Irish as they settled in Virginia.
- By the time the 18th Amendment was ratified early in 1919, over half the country was dry.
- Prohibition lasted 13 years. It created a demand for moonshine, unlike any that may have existed before. Moonshine became big business overnight.
- Shepherd was Uncle Jesse’s CB handle on the Dukes of Hazzard. Sweet Tillie was the name of his Ford LTD/Galaxie in the first episode – his moonshine runner.
- The X’s on the moonshine jugs symbol represents the number of times a batch was run through the still. If marked XXX, the moonshine is pure alcohol.
- What do Esther Clark, Edna Giard, Stella Beloumant, Mary Wazeniak all have in common? They were all bootleggers. Bootlegging was an equal-opportunity profession.
- Lavinia Gilman was a bootlegger, too. At 80 years old, she ran a 300-gallon still in Montana. The judge suspected her son was the real culprit, though.
- During prohibition, there were many ways to transport bootlegged moonshine. Faking a funeral was a convenient ruse to move the product. Out of respect for the dead, of course, those with the badge were reluctant to stop a funeral procession.
- The most likely origin of the term Moonshine is actually from Wiltshire County in England, which at one time held smuggling as one of its most important industries.
- The name moonshine was brought to America by early British settlers who used the word to describe illicit tasks that needed to be done in the dark of night.
- Stock car racing began because bootleggers needed cars fast enough to outrun the cops. So, they modified their cars for speed. The boys who were bootlegging in Georgia started racing their cars against one another and eventually, it turned into NASCAR.
- America’s first legal moonshine distillery was in North Carolina.
- There Are No Rules When Making Moonshine – When it comes to moonshine, anything goes. You can use a mash made from corn, malted barley, rye, wheat or any other grain that can provide soluble sugar. It doesn’t need to be aged in oak or any specific wood. In fact, it doesn’t need to be aged at all.
- There are no strict rules in terms of the ABV of the finished product and many other ingredients can be added, like fruit, herbs, and spices. This level of freedom is what attracts many distillers to moonshine. They can experiment with their moonshine and concoct delicious spirits with interesting flavors.
- Contrary to popular belief, the term “Moonshine” wasn’t coined in the United States. It was first used in Britain, where the first moonshiners operated their stills under the cover of darkness. These distillers produced whiskey, gin, and other kinds of spirits illicitly to avoid taxation by the British government.
- Mountain Dew Soda Was Developed To Be A Moonshine Mixer. The original Mountain Dew soda was developed to be a mixer for moonshine and other spirits. In fact, the original mascot was named Willy The Hillbilly, in a clear reference to the intended use of the drink.
- The original settlers of the Appalachians were tough folk living in harsh conditions. They were also very practical, knowledgeable, and industrious.
- When they produced moonshine, it wasn’t just for getting drunk. It had several practical applications around the home, including as a disinfectant, tranquilizer, solvent, and anesthetic.
- Moonshine was also used as currency, so they could trade moonshine for food, medicine, seeds, tools, livestock and other things they needed to survive.
- Moonshine wasn’t just a drink, it was an essential asset that made life in the Appalachians easier.
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