By Donna Bell


There are some people who love coffee. Others like trying different kinds of teas. Still others enjoy the taste of an occasional alcoholic beverage. If you are of legal age, you can purchase wines and beers in many different varieties and in a full range of prices. Over the past several years, more and more individuals have become intrigued with making their own personal beers and wines. Then there are those who love the idea of making whiskey in a moonshine still.

This liquor has a history that goes back before the era of Prohibition, although that is the time that probably thrust it into the mainstream of society. When alcohol was banned by federal law, bootleggers knew there was a lucrative business in illegal sales of outlawed liquor. Moonshine, also known as white lightning, hooch, shine, and by many other names, was easy to manufacture and bottle. It quickly found an eager public ready to break the law in order to buy it.

You can buy a still online very easily. They are offered new and used and come in a wide variety of sizes and prices. If you want to build one yourself, you can purchase kits and plans for a nominal fee. Even the most respectable websites, where people buy everything from video games to cars, have stills for sale. A person looking for stills for personal use can find high quality equipment for three to seven hundred dollars.

Some creative individuals purchase them for display instead of for their intended use. Most of the equipment is made out of copper and can be quite beautiful and interesting as a show piece. They can be used as garden decorations very effectively. If nothing else, the pieces make good conversation starters.

Individuals interested in producing moonshine usually do some research, end up knowing something about the liquor, and try to impress their drinking buddies with interesting facts. They may explain that it became popular with rural Americans because it was cheap and easy to make. Most of the ingredients needed they already had on the farm, like corn and hog feed mash. It was also potent, about one hundred sixty proof when ready to drink.

The connection between NASCAR and "hooch" is real. During the early years of the twentieth century, moonshiners outran the law in cars that were designed for speed. At some point, it was decided that it would be fun to run these cars on tracks and sell tickets to the public. This was the birth of stock car racing.

The big question, when it comes to moonshine is, is it legal? The quick answer is, that in most states, it is illegal to make it at home. In some states, you can manufacture the liquor as long as you have all the licenses needed and pay the taxes required. Home brewed wine and beer is legal however, in most states. If you are caught making "hooch", you can face fines and felony charges.

Making alcohol for personal use can be a really fun hobby. If you decide to venture into the world of moonshine production, just be careful the "revenuers" don't find out.




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