Moonshine

[electronjohn]

I've drank a bit of 'shine in my day...the good stuff is the GOOD stuff. Central MN was a hotbed of moonshinin' during Prohibition...one of my HS teachers would regale us with tales of his Dad's escapades back in the day

I've also heard that 'shine is the reason grapefruit soda is found in a lot of pop machines south of the Mason-Dixon line...a topflight mixer.

My brother brought back several bottles of grappa when he moved back from Switzerland. Now there's some rocket fuel!! He swilled it with the locals all the time.

 

[diamondsouled]

I have a funny story about a couple back woods distillers. They lived out on Duck Creek Road down towards the dam and water works where I used to work. This was in the East Kootenays near Creston BC. There are a ton of old orchards in the valley that have old delicious and mac tress that don't get harvested anymore so you can get bushels of apples for free. These guys were taking them apples, making strong cider and then cooking it. They had a van with a water bed in it and would fill the water bed with shine and then drive the van down across the border into Idaho. When they came back the water bed was filled with water. One time they were too lazy to refill the water bed and the border guys noticed that the van was sitting a lot higher than on the way down so they checked the van and water bed and they got busted.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Ah, Grappa! Basically they take the grape pulp and skins after squeezing out the juice, add a bunch of sugar, ferment and distill into brandy. I think the Italians don't oak age it like the classic French brandy, so it's clear like moonshine.

A good friend of mine went to Italy on a business/vacation trip. Friends picked him and his wife up at the airport and went straight to the grappa distillery for a tour/tasting. Apparently they gave him a pretty good shot of each flavor for tasting, and there was no spit bucket like at the wineries! So after a 12-hr. flight and several shots of booze that he said tasted like brandy mixed with diesel fuel, they were so $h!tfaced they went to the hotel and slept for 12 hours!

 

[tnmike1]

Ever heard the song "Copperhead Road" ? There's lots of places around Floyd you might step on a Claymore if not careful. It's local old folks, NY transplants (cheap taxes) and a lot of hippies.

Just like the movie Thunder Road with Robert Mitchum, then later the song. Thunder Road was actually the main road into Knoxville and really was a road for 'shiners bringin' the goods to town.

 

[tnmike1]

Evan Williams is excellent sour mash bourbon, and, believe it or not, it's my regular brand! I always buy the larger size, so I'm not familiar with the price for the 750 ml size. I'll check tomorrow.

anyone try the honey-flavored Evan Williams?? Just bought the Wild Turkey "American Honey" and while very good, wouldn't mind finding something a bit less money

 

[diamondsouled]

Ah, Grappa! Basically they take the grape pulp and skins after squeezing out the juice, add a bunch of sugar, ferment and distill into brandy. I think the Italians don't oak age it like the classic French brandy, so it's clear like moonshine.

A good friend of mine went to Italy on a business/vacation trip. Friends picked him and his wife up at the airport and went straight to the grappa distillery for a tour/tasting. Apparently they gave him a pretty good shot of each flavor for tasting, and there was no spit bucket like at the wineries! So after a 12-hr. flight and several shots of booze that he said tasted like brandy mixed with diesel fuel, they were so $h!tfaced they went to the hotel and slept for 12 hours!

I have a bottle of Luxardo Grappa in my liquor cabinet very much like shine. They sell Grappa in fancy bottles as a way to get rid of it

One of the tube and cap sellers from Bulgaria, LCI, who is a great guy sent me a bottle of Rakia, yum. Very nice stuff and shine-like the plum brandy from Slovakia.

 

[finnbow]

Ah, Grappa! Basically they take the grape pulp and skins after squeezing out the juice, add a bunch of sugar, ferment and distill into brandy. I think the Italians don't oak age it like the classic French brandy, so it's clear like moonshine.

Grappa has a distinct similarity to turpentine IMHO. Nasty stuff. Then again, I've never had an upscale Grappa, just the cheap stuff they'd pour for free after a meal at several places I've been to in Italy.

 

[Mark W.]

Careful. Unless you personally know the maker, I wouldn't touch the stuff (again).

In theory, it can be as safe as any legal grain alcohol made for human consumption. In practice, that's too often not the case. Even if the moonshiners aren't using methanol as a cheap profit-enhancer, and aren't using an old car radiator with lead soldering as the distiller, some of the volatile compounds that should be distilled off from natural grains often aren't in the moonshine process (time is money AND risk).

In reality how would risking your customers health and ability to buy more be good for business. I would venbture to guess that most Moonshine is made by people who have known for a very long time how to make proper drinking alcohol.

 

[Satcom123]

Well, I know I started this thread. I just had to do it.

Measured a shot glass of the shine and downed it. Since it was from the freezer it was smooghth.....If I start typing not so good, I guess it will do it's trick/thing. I followed it with coke, thank God.

 

[Fisherdude]

It's been great knowin' ya! :sadwave:

 

[clarkson]

It's been great knowin' ya! :sadwave:

+1 on that.

 

[Sandy G]

....You CAN'T think about/drink Moonshine w/o watching the 1958 Robert Mitchum hit/movie "Thunder Road"...Most of the places Mitchum talks about in the song, I'm REAL familiar with...

 

[Satcom123]

Well I ended up over at the music forum of Ullman. Have to visit there.

Now is have to find Thunder Road. Robert Mitchum. I think I'll find the songer and letter ripp flum thereer.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Likewise, I am familiar with the locations in Thunder Road. And you can now even buy Legal Moonshine here in Eastern Tennessee and at a liquor store nearest you. Google Junior Johnson Moonshine. "He Left The Road At 90, That's All There Is To Say, The Devil Got The Moonshine & The Mountain Boy That Day"

 

[diamondsouled]

Well, I know I started this thread. I just had to do it.

Measured a shot glass of the shine and downed it. Since it was from the freezer it was smooghth.....If I start typing not so good, I guess it will do it's trick/thing. I followed it with coke, thank God.

I hope you were referring to a Coca-Cola chaser. I use H2O.

 

[similost]

You can get your fill on cable now too.. Kinda curious how they did this show and didn't get everyone busted..

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/moonshiners-moonshiners-sneak-peek.html

 

[ducati_EL34]

In reality how would risking your customers health and ability to buy more be good for business. I would venbture to guess that most Moonshine is made by people who have known for a very long time how to make proper drinking alcohol.

Not everyone is as ethical as you are. Some people are in it for the money they make, now! The use of old radiators for condensers is well known. Besides, it takes a while for lead to kill you.


Vacuum tubes are where it's at!

 

[ManyMoonsAudio]

I pulled a dumass at a christmas party at a place I used to work.

Group of guys takin sips out of a mason jar and they passed it to me. Having never tried the stuff, I took a healthy swallow and I had to sit down. I thought my head was going to pop off my shoulders. Instantaneous drunk.

 

[Cosmic]

I could swear we've had the discussion of Strong Drink before...ah well, what's not to like....

For the sake ('sake'...geddit?) of fairness, Moutai must be mentioned.

The official drink of Chinese state meetings and big dinners, it is...a challenge.

It only lists at something like 110-120 proof, but it will fell you like a tree if you don't look out.
My stepfather was behind Chinese lines in WW2 and mentioned local variations that ran up to what 'shine would be like in proof.
Cold, it smells like (take your pick) fertilizer/catpiss/old socks; when served "correctly" (heated) it smells like an open sewer.

It numbs the tongue and makes you not feel the sting of the 2-4 follow-up shots that will ultimately be your doom.

Then, having had too much, after you collapse in bed, you get the "Moutai Sweats"...with your perspiration smelling of it...if you are with a loved one on such a night, make sure she gets loaded as well, or else it's the sofa...

Haven't had any in about 30 years, but still have the vivid memory of two otherwise sturdy drinking buddies driving home in their 70es Chevy...one of them passed out on the hood :yes::thmbsp:

C.

BTW, living in DC, I have heard of something out of Baltimore called "squeezins"; basically Sterno fuel filtered through cheesecloth or similar. Can't say I have a desire to sample it, but is that a regional favorite or known elsewhere as well?

 

[Bozzmonster]

I've tried 'shine a couple of times in my life. The first from this immigrant from Yugoslavia I used to work with who somehow got some in either from the old country, or made here to the same specs. Took a sip - that was very smooth but hit me like sledghammer!

The previous time, I actually had a hand in making it. I had a buddy who lived in the country near Saginaw, MI during the mid 80's. I was in high school. He set up a still in an old barn, and created a mash of corn, sugar and wind felled apples from an old orchard. He let the mash cook work for quite some time and set up a still set on an old wood stove with a tank from who knows where and several yards of copper tubing. I helped keep the fire stoked. It worked and the hootch produced was strong, effective, but not all that great. That was also the moment we were doing several illegal things at once: underage drinking, producing spirits without a license, shooting off illegal fireworks and a few pipe bombs and, well...

We had to keep occupied while the 'shine was cooking. Let's just say the summer of '84 was pretty hazy, but a lot of fun!