Moonshine

In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries have adopted the term for its outlaw cachet and have begun producing their own legal "moonshine", including many novelty flavored varieties, that are said to continue the tradition by using a similar method and/or locale of production.

For example, the name applejack derives from the traditional method of producing the drink, jacking, the process of freezing fermented cider and then removing the ice, increasing the alcohol content.

Traditionally constructed from copper, pot stills are made in a range of shapes and sizes depending on quantity and style of spirit.

Geographic variations in still design exist, with certain kinds popular in parts of Appalachia, a region known for moonshine distilling.

Stills employing automotive radiators as condensers are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol produced from antifreeze can be a problem.

The head that comes immediately after the foreshot (the initial product of the still) typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds, such as acetone and various aldehydes.

This is especially true during the distilling process, when vaporized alcohol may accumulate in the air to dangerous concentrations if adequate ventilation is not provided.

[18] Analysis of Georgia moonshine samples revealed potentially toxic levels of copper, zinc, lead, and arsenic.

[19] A review of twelve arsenic poisoning cases found contaminated moonshine responsible for about half, suggesting it may be a significant source in some areas.

Consumption of lead-tainted moonshine is a serious risk factor for saturnine gout, a very painful but treatable medical condition that damages the kidneys and joints.

[citation needed] A common folk test for the quality of moonshine was to pour a small quantity of it into a spoon and set it on fire.

Practitioners of this simple test also held that if a radiator coil had been used as a condenser, then there would be lead in the distillate, which would give a reddish flame.

[31] Popular offerings for the Maya deity and folk saint Maximón include money, tobacco, and moonshine.

[36] Illegal distilling accelerated during the Prohibition era (1920–1933), which mandated a total ban on alcohol production under the Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

Applicable laws were historically enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of the US Department of Justice, but are now usually handled by state agencies.

The earliest known instance of the term "moonshine" being used to refer to illicit alcohol dates to the 1785 edition of Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, which was published in England.

[38] While moonshiners were present in urban and rural areas around the United States after the Civil War, moonshine production concentrated in Appalachia because the limited road network made it easy to evade revenue officers and because it was difficult and expensive to transport corn crops.

[42] The cars were ordinary on the outside but modified with souped-up engines, extra interior room, and heavy-duty shock absorbers to support the weight of the illicit alcohol.

Two ears of Jimmy Red were passed on to "seed saver" Ted Chewning, who saved the variety from extinction and began to produce it on a wider scale.

For example, the New Hampshire state legislature has tried repeatedly to pass laws allowing unlicensed home distillation of small batches.