Moonshining some light on a centuries-old (and counting) drink
Hooch, corn liquor, white lightning, mountain dew—whatever people may call it, moonshine has long been considered a staple of Appalachian culture, to the point where it recently had a “national holiday” to celebrate this beloved corn liquor.
Celebrators of this national holiday not only celebrated the drink itself, but also celebrated the transformation of moonshine from having a bad reputation to being accepted as normal in modern society.
Introduced to Appalachia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries by Scots-Irish immigrants, the recipe that developed into moonshine was dubbed uisce beathe, Gaelic for “water of life.” Since then, moonshine continues to give life to its illegal past and its increasingly positive future.
At first, the very word moonshine makes people think of moonshiners of the past who hid stills in the woods and covered them in camouflage in order to avoid being found out by the “revenuers”, and this past certainly has some truth.
The term moonshine is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as an “illegally sold spirit”. However, despite the actual definition of the word moonshine, moonshine today, if made correctly and responsibly, is both safe and legal.
In fact, since 2010, moonshine has become legal in 44 counties in Tennessee as long as the manufacturer is a licensed producer. And while individual folks cannot distill moonshine in their homes without a license, you are allowed to make up to five gallons of your own a year, provided it is for domestic use.
Despite moonshine’s rebellious past, there have been attempts by many distilleries to normalize moonshine and rid it of its stigma of illegality. In fact, a Chattanooga couple, Ann Dickerson and Bill Zack, used the rum cakes of the Caribbean to inspire their Tennessee Moonshine Cakes.
“If you can put rum in cakes, why not moonshine?” they ask. They claim that using moonshine in their cakes and jams allows for a continuation of something that’s been a part of the culture of East Tennessee since immigrants from Scotland and Ireland arrived here in the 1700’s, and doing so in a new and innovative way.
Including moonshine in a baked good provides the public with a taste of the famous liquor as well as a taste of Southern history.
Beyond the Tennessee Moonshine Cakes, there are a number of tourist distilleries that make moonshine. These distilleries include the famous Ole Smokey Moonshine Distillery, the Short Mountain Distillery, and the Sugarlands Distilling Company.
Also, legally distilled moonshine is available in almost any liquor store in the Chattanooga area.
The future of moonshine continues to look bright as people find new ways to flavor it and new ways to use it. Moonshine is an extremely adaptable spirit that can be used in the place of vodka, tequila, and rum.
Even though moonshine’s past was dark, alcohol consumers today can embrace the intense history of a classic drink and look forward to its positive future.
Strawberry Silver Stone Sour
(courtesy sugarlandsdistilling.com)
- 1 oz Strawberry infused Silver Cloud Moonshine*1 oz Orange juice
- 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz Simple syrup
- 1 Egg white
- 3 dashes Bitters
Shake ingredients together vigorously and pour over ice. Garnish with a strawberry.
*Slice 6 - 8 strawberries and soak in a jar of Silver Cloud Moonshine for at least 6 hours.