What is Moonshine?
As Germany's most wanted Moonshiner, The Modern Day Rebel "Kevin Smith" is pursued by lawmen, white whiskey enthusiasts (and drinkers). With his families recipe under lock and key, and always on the lookout for things not quite right, "the maker" creates his Moonshine through a pure Copper Pot Still. Generations Old, making his Moonshine some of the best in the world.
“If it ain’t from a Still it ain’t Real” — The Maker
HISTORY of MOONSHINE
What is Moonshine
Moonshine is an Illegally made and non-taxed spirit or Un-Aged Whiskey. It is clear, corn-based and has a high alcohol content. A sign of the high alcohol content is quick disappearing bubbles when shaken. Traditionally Moonshine is made in a Copper Pot Still and then directly bottled in Jars for an immediate sale. It was to be drunk not stored in barrels for years on end. That is why making the “good stuff “ was hard work while you did not have years to work with and a fancy barrel to improve the flavor. The moonshiner had to have a good recipe and be dedicated to the process. Something we take very much pride in here at Badger Mountain moonshine Company.
"aged liquor doesn't taste any different. I once let a bottle sit on the kitchen table for over a week before I drank it, and I could not taste a difference."
— Kevin "The Maker" Smith himself
Where did Moonshine come from
Scottish and Irish settlers brought their recipes to the Southern United States as early as the 1700s. In America, the distillers had to use, while it was so abundant, Corn (maize) instead of their typical ingredients. Whiskey or as it has originally been called “Uisce Beatha”(Gaelic for "water of life"), then shortened to "Uisce" then to "Whisky" was a mainstay in Southern culture. Unfortunately, as it became more and more popular, so did the government's Interest in its taxation. The southern Appalachian Mountains soon became famed for an abundance of the product because of their poor accessibility due to bad or non-existent roads. Furthermore, the farmer could transport and sell at a larger profit his corn product as a liquid than in the original grain form. “ The Makers “ family, Scotch on one side and Irish on the other have over 10 generations of combined experience.
Why is Moonshine Illegal
Moonshining is Malum Prohibitum. Wrong not in a sense as immoral or damaging to others, like robbery or murder, but prohibited by law. The government made false allocations that Moonshine was hazardous to your health. But in Reality, just wanted their Tax Money, and the new Americans - still tired from the War with England - was not about to have it. They just got done fighting a war over being taxed too much, and then their new government wants to tax them to pay the war debt. These folks were honest, simple, and poor people just trying to stay alive. The one time heroes, now turned Outlaws, had to start working at night to avoid detection.
How is Moonshine Made
A lot of people have the Misconception that whiskey comes out of the still brown. However, all distilled spirits coming out of the still should be clear. Ageing it in a barrel is what gives it its color and particular flavors. 100% copper was preferred as it is a good conductor of heat. When grains ferment, one byproduct is a compound containing sulfur and smells like rotting eggs. During distillation, these compounds bind with the copper and stick to the inside surface of the still instead of running out. At Badger Mountain Moonshine Company, we use a Copper Pot Still. The distillate is in contact only with copper from one end to the other resulting in a smoother tasting Moonshine. In the olden days, Mountain Farmers would grow a small stand of sweet white corn nearest the house "the Infield". This was prime stuff, the kind you hide and keep for yourself. At BMMC79, this is the kind we share with You, our friends, and drinkers. Remember… If it ain’t from a Still, it ain’t Real…
Moonshine and NASCAR
American Stock Car Racing has its roots in smuggling Moonshine. Bootleggers avoided detection by using cars that looked ordinary or stock on the outside. However, hidden underneath that plain-looking exterior were high horsepower engines capable of leaving any lawman that dared to give chase, in the dust. When not running Moonshine, they showed off their mechanical and driving skills by racing one another to claim bragging rights. As prohibition came to an end, out of work bootleggers, took their talents to dirt tracks instead of the south's dirt roads. It was eventually establishing what we now call NASCAR. Today dirt track stock car racing remains the most popular autosport in America.
