American Moonshine: A Taste of History

By Kyle Doran

The police bust some bootleggers in their hotrod, circa 1922
(Credit: Library of Congress)

Moonshine has been making a significant comeback over the last decade. Traditionally, the drink has held the stigma of the peasantry, the work of rural farmers and mountain people set to quickly turn corn into a good time and a cash product. However, that stigma has receded in recent years. Rich with fascinating history, hipsters and connoisseurs have resurrected moonshine nationwide. Today the notorious “hooch” is distilled in two popular fashions: the more historical corn mash moonshine, and “sugar shine,” which is easier to flavor.

Born In Crime
The history of moonshine is as old as the country itself. In the frontier era, corn was the cash crop of the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding areas. Clever farmers, many with a cultural tradition of (often illicit) distilling, soon realized they could increase their margins by converting corn into moonshine. Moonshine became so popular that it even served as a currency. Soon, the Federal government decided to impose the unpopular Whiskey Tax of 1791. Seeing the tax as targeting the poor, moonshiners decided to ignore the tax. Intrepid tax collectors soon started venturing into the area to collect their taxes, only to be met with tar and feather, if not worse violence. This sewed the seeds of moonshine’s illicit reputation in America.

It didn’t take long for clashes between the government and moonshiners to escalate to a boiling point. Moonshiners in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania soon took up arms in a full-fledged rebellion. The Federal government responded with force and put down the short lived rebellion almost immediately. However, tensions in the area never ceased and moonshine’s reputation took its first blemish. Many of the diehards left Pennsylvania for areas beyond the tax collector’s reach, such as Kentucky.

The Noble Experiment
In the early 1800’s the United States saw the rise of the Temperance Movement as part of a broader religious tide. Fueled by the rising popularity of fundamentalist Christianity, the movement set its sights on alcohol early on. The notoriety of moonshine made alcohol an easy target to be painted as “sinful.” A century later, Temperance reached its high water mark in the form of Prohibition, enforced by the 18th Amendment. Of course, moonshine had long staked its existence on the fringe of the law. Prohibiting the sale of alcohol only emboldened moonshiners to run their stills on overtime, and illicit spirits went mainstream.

The Italian Mafia often comes to mind when it comes to Prohibition-era organized crime. However, the mafia was getting much of its supply from old fashioned moonshiners,. Bootleggers would move the supply from point A to point B, often being pursued by police during the process. In fact, it was this constant process of police chases that laid the foundation of NASCAR, with many of NASCAR’s early stars being former bootleggers.

Bootleggers made a cottage industry out of improving their car’s performance to outrun police. Soon, machismo took over and bootleggers started racing one another. The races became more organized over time, until NASCAR was founded to oversee the new sport.

Legal moonshine is rarely ever XXX stuff
(Credit: S.D. Peters)

Post-Prohibition
After Prohibition ended, moonshine slipped into relative obscurity, although high liquor taxes ensured it never went away. However, things have changed over the last decade. Artisan distillers began to resurrect age old recipes, especially those using traditional corn mash. As this trend started to gain steam, some distillers started experimenting with variations on the traditional recipes. Sugar shine, traditional to the Low Country of the Carolinas and Georgia and widely made in Prohibition times, proved to be extremely conducive to additives and flavorings. Today, you can find an array of  popular moonshine flavors at your local liquor store or craft distillery. In keeping with moonshine’s tradition, these new takes on hooch are gaining steam with home distillers as well. Some of these famous recipes include:

Apple Pie Moonshine Recipe

This is the perfect recipe for a beginner moonshine drinker because of its sweet taste. This recipe contains the sweetness of apples and the spiciness of cinnamon, making it a favorite drink for the winter holidays. Follow these steps to make a batch of Apple Pie Moonshine mix.

1. Add 1 quart of sugar shine to a pot (This is moonshine that is distilled using a mash that ferments sugar instead of corn or grain, making it perfect for sweeter flavored recipes).
2. Add 6-10 cinnamon sticks to your moonshine.
3. Pour 1 quart of apple juice.
4. Add 1 quart of apple cider.
5. Add 1 cup of white sugar and 2 cups of brown sugar.
6. Stir the mixture together and let steep for 2-5 days.
7. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Moonshine Recipe

This is another great recipe for moonshine newcomers as it also has a sweeter flavor profile. Who doesn’t love a refreshing strawberry lemonade, that can also get you a little tipsy? Follow these steps to make a batch of Strawberry Lemonade Moonshine mix.

1. Add 1 quart of Sugarshine to a pot.
2. Cut up and add 10 strawberries to your moonshine.
3. Pour 1 cup of strawberry puree to the mix.
4. Add a half cup of lemon juice.
5. Add 1 cup of white sugar.
6. Stir the mix together and enjoy!

Jalapeno Infused Moonshine Mule

If you’re a fan of the traditional Moscow Mule, you should try this spicier take on a Moonshine Mule using jalapeno infused moonshine as a base. Follow the below recipe for a single serving of Jalapeno Infused Moonshine Mule.

1. Slice 3-4 jalapeno peppers lengthwise.
2. Add the peppers to a quart of corn distilled moonshine.
3. Seal in a jar and let sit in a cool, dark place for anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on how spicy you would like your mix.
4. Strain the now flavored moonshine from the peppers.
5. Pour 1 and a half ounces of jalapeno infused moonshine to a mug.
6. Add 1 ounce of ginger beer to the mix.
7. Add ½ ounce of lemon juice.
8. Stir and enjoy!

Whether it’s a traditional corn mash moonshine or a flavored sugar shine, we hope you partake in this beverage’s second life.  Let’s take a walk in the moonlight.