Moonshine, the liquor itself, is not illegal. In some cases, it was even a way of recycling. In the 19th century and earlier, moonshine was often consumed neat as there were few alternatives. This also included homemade spirits and it has been illegal to produce spirits at home ever since. Not only can amateur distillers inadvertently poison people but stills are highly explosive. We’re proponents of saying that there is no wrong way to drink something as long as you enjoy it. “Alcohol has a bad rap for being associated with health issues, and so this makes it a touchy subject when it comes to controlling its production,” Herzberg, a professor of history at University of Buffalo who focuses on legal psychoactives like alcohol and tobacco, tells Inverse. Indeed, there aren’t really any traditional ways to drink moonshine nor is there any type of specific glassware. As they’re sweeter, they’re often easier to enjoy neat but are also used in cocktails. Despite crackdowns, its production became particularly concentrated in the East-Coast Appalachia region as it was easier to evade authorities. For the same reason, bootleggers favoured small cars rather than trucks that would be easily spotted. Historically, it was typically a clear and unaged whiskey in the USA and the UK. Nevertheless, moonshine is also known under many other names including hooch, white lightning, and mash liquor. Although Prohibition ended in 1933, illegal moonshine operations continued to avoid new taxation. Nevertheless, if it has been distilled multiple times, it should theoretically be safe. Because the liquor is worth more to the government than beer or wine. This adage is especially the case with moonshine! While black market production of alcohol was relatively common, it wasn’t quite as notorious until the aforementioned 1862 Revenue Act. Other risks that can come with distilling your own moonshine include amateur-related hazards like stills exploding. Firstly, imposing permits on distillers ensures both traceability and quality control. It all began right after the American Revolution, Spoelman explains, during which time the government began to place excise taxes on alcohol in order to pay off its debt from the war. In 1862 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’s (ATF) passed the 1862 Revenue Act. It is only illegal to make at home. This also included homemade spirits and it has been illegal to produce spirits at home ever since. You need a federal license because the US government wants to make money off you and because poorly made distilled alcohol can kill. Alternatively, you could opt for akvavit or even Absinthe Blanche. NPR reported that when suppliers do sell stills to amateurs, they “assume that customers are interested in making perfumes, distilled water or some other legal liquid.” This is to stay within the bounds of the law, the suppliers say. Stock car races became popular in the 1940s and as less work was available for bootleggers, it eventually led to the creation of NASCAR. Like the 16th-century Dutch traders who distilled French wine into cognac, they found that higher proof alcohol was easier to transport as the quantities were smaller. Ever wonder why moonshine is illegal? This act officially imposed a tax on alcohol, among other items, which made distilling without a permit even harder to get away with. In fact, some historians even argue that distillation is a key indicator of a developing civilization. The late-19th and early-20th centuries saw the birth of cocktail culture. There are many claims regarding historical alcoholic spirits that were originally created as herbal benefits, but moonshine is certainly not one of them. Gin is another potential substitute but it does have a distinctive juniper flavour, which can change the results. Indeed, the term is British and was first recorded in 1785 in reference to alcohol. Although the prohibition on home distillation seems like a hindrance at a time when craft booze is booming, federal governments say that that is designed to protect the consumers. Suppliers often sell moonshine stills to beginners who are interested in making essential oils, perfumes or distilled water, which is perfectly within the law. For this reason, it’s typically associated with bootleggers and the Prohibition in the USA. The federal law states that breaking it can have offenders facing multiple federal felonies, including tax evasion, which can result in up to 10 years in prison on top of seizure and forfeiture of the land used for the illegal activity. Things began to go downhill after the American Revolution when the government began to impose alcohol excise taxes in order to repay the war-caused debt. This is because federal law trumps state law, so you still risk facing the aforementioned felonies, regardless of where in the country you live. The production of any spirit (including moonshine) without proper permits is illegal. Although many people know that making alcoholic beverages at home is prohibited, they don’t understand how and why these laws were adopted. Farmers supplying the grain used in producing moonshine started protesting and the conflict eventually caused the Whiskey Rebellion, which threatened the stability of the budding United States and compelled President George Washington to lead a crackdown on moonshine making ventures. Therefore, it caused a shift in what was available on the market. According to federal laws, distilling alcohol at home is certainly illegal, no matter the amount. While moonshine is still used to describe illegal homemade alcohol, legitimate distillers will often sell beverages that are described as moonshine. You can always use fruit juice with a spirit like vodka. Some moonshine producers will seek to offer reproductions of clear high-proof homemade alcohol from the Prohibition era. People can easily fall ill, go blind or even die from poorly-made alcoholic spirits. While moonshine is still used to describe illegal homemade alcohol, legitimate distillers will often sell beverages that are described as moonshine. Meanwhile, the calories should be quite low and a shot of clear moonshine shouldn’t be more than 90 kCal. As officials started modernising their vehicles, bootleggers soon turned to modifying theirs as well. The colloquial term for clear, non-barrel-aged whiskey — and occasionally other home-distilled spirits — has sparked curiosity in a younger generation of drinkers, prompting books on DIY booze- making, and fancy whiskey brands touting “moonshine” in their name. Even the Discovery Channel has taken advantage of moonshine craze with the popular TV show ‘Moonshiners’. The government argues that the home distilling process is unsafe because of the potential to be contaminated with harmful heavy metal substances. Supposedly, the name was adopted due to potential hallucinogenic side-effects of the alcohol’s impurities. It is legal to own moonshine stills, and you can actually use them, provided you are not producing alcohol. However, in the USA and most parts of Europe, distilling is against the law. “Throughout history, the government tended to hype this danger up to push its taxes.”. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, What Is Moonshine & Why Is It Illegal? In fact, bootlegging can lead to jail time for distilling alcohol and spirits at home. There may be ingredients that contain gluten and both the carb and calories can vary wildly. In general, alcohol has always been heavily scrutinized by the government. Due to government taxes and a long turbulent history, making moonshine for personal consumption is still illegal. Soon after, the Revenue Act of 1862 was passed. In recent years, moonshine has been enjoying some sort of a come-back. Although a minority of people will claim that it must be drunk in its pure form, this is actually quite rare. Uncle Sam takes an excise tax of $2.14 for … In this guide, you will learn everything that you need to know about moonshine from its flavours and how to drink it: Simply use the links above to jump ahead or scroll down to read the entire guide. Following the introduction of Prohibition with the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution over half a century later, moonshine became considerably more present.

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