A brief synopsis of the evolution of Moonshine, important influencers and a few fun facts.

1. MOONSHINEMOONSHINEMOONSHINEMOONSHINE
Ultimate
History
Sources:
http://www.whiskeystill.net
http://www.drinkofthedevil.com
http://moonshinelawsdirectory.com
Design by:
Whiskey Still Company
THE MAN OF MOONSHINE
Marvin Sutton was a legendary Appalachain moonshiner and bootlegger who was born in
Maggie Valley, North Carolina on October 5th 1946. After beating a popcorn machine with a
pool cue in the mid 70’s, he blatantly inherited the name Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton.
In 2008, Sutton made the mistake of admitting to an undercover agent that he had
approximatley 500 gallons of moonshine in Tennessee and another 400 gallons in Maggie
Valley. This ultimatley led to a raid by ATF and Sutton was later charged with illegally
distilling spirits and possession of a firearm.
Since he had a long background of criminal charges, the judge wanted to sentence Sutton
to 24 months in prison. At the time, he was diagnosed with cancer so the judge decided to
sentence him to 18 months.
Unfortunatley, with Suttons age and medical condition, he decided to comitt suicide to
avoid federal prison. On March 16th 2009, Sutton was found by his wife with the engine
running in his Green Ford Farimont Cocke County.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND
Right after the American Revolution in the 1970’s, people started to make their own
moonshine. Once the state was struggling, a federal tax on liquor and spirits was placed.
Since people were already struggling financially, they began to make their own alcohol.
Making your own alcohol back then wasn’t so much a hobbie as it was a way to make extra
income. Since the taxes were so high, farmers learned to survive by utilizing their corn and
turning it into whiskey for a profit. This is how they were able to feed their families and keep
thier assets.
In the 1920’s Prohibition went into effect which banned the sale of alcohol, manufacture,
transportation and consumption. Once this happened moonshiners couldn’t have been
happier. Since the demand was so high and moonshiners just couldn’t keep up, the quality
of moonshine was very poor.
In 1933 when Prohibition ended, the market for moonshine plummeted. Alcohol became
cheaper and there was no longer a need for moonshine anymore. Today, many people
continue to make moonshine but more for hobbie rather than a source of income.
STATE & FEDERAL LAWS
It’s LEGAL to own any kind of still for water distillation or any other
non-alcoholic liquid. However by law, it’s ILLEGAL to distill any form
of alcohol without a permit.
ON A FEDERAL LEVEL
FUN FACTS
In Oklahoma it’s LEGAL to distill ethanol to produce spirits but
it’s ILLEGAL to produce a drinkable spirit which exceeds the
amount of alcoholic content that is
permitted by the state.
XXX
The “XXX” on growlers used to quite popular back in the day. It
signified how many times the batch had been run through the
still. Three X’s ment it had been run through three times and
that the shine was PURE ALCOHOL.
Definition: high-proof distilled spirits that are often but not
always produced illicitly
Junior Johnson was the most famous bootlegger to make a
name for himself in NASCAR and was known as a ‘moonrunner’.
Back in the day good ol' boys like Jobnson would soup up their
cars, haul some bounty and race for the state line to make a
profit on some home made moonshine.
The main ingredient in moonshine is CORN MASH. Other
ingredients include: corn, sugar, yeast, and water. Honey, fruits,
Agave, and rye can also be added for additional flavor.
Not only was moonshine consumed, Scottish and Irish farmers
who settled in Appalachia also used it as a MEDICINE. It could be
used as a disinfectant, a solvent, an anaesthetic, a tranquilizer,
and a currency.