Making moonshine….
Did you know you don’t have to be a hillbilly living in the Appalachian Mountains to make moonshine? Under federal law you can own a still, but you need a Distilled Spirits Plant permit to distill alcohol for consumption – even if only for personal consumption. There are also state laws to consider, so be sure you do your homework before you proceed. The sites are listed in order by their Alexa traffic count rating.
1. WiseBread – How to Make Moonshine: http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-make-moonshine
Global Alexa Rating: 14,641
This article on the WiseBread website discusses how to make moonshine if you don’t want to purchase a still, which could be a great option if you don’t want to go to the trouble of getting that federal permit. There is a link at the bottom of the article for a step-by-step guide on making a still and also one to the TTB site to read about alcohol FAQs. There are also quite a few useful comments to the post.
2. Home Distillation of Alcohol: http://homedistiller.org/intro/intro
Global Alexa Rating: 109,061
This is a well-organized site about home distillation that includes information on the steps to distilling, types of stills, safety issues, legality, definitions of distilled spirits and more. You definitely want to read over the safety issues before you proceed with this endeavor – including the discussion about ethanol toxicity, fire, will I go blind, methanol and lead poisoning. There’s also a bit of humor – check out the avoiding hangovers section for some funny alcohol warnings.
3. Modern Man: http://www.modernman.com/the-moonshine-brands-you-should-taste/
Global Alexa Rating: 224,054
What you may not have known about moonshine is that it has gone mainstream and you can actually purchase moonshine in some areas in stores. There is commercially made moonshine that is pretty decent if you want to avoid the potential of getting arrested for making it yourself. This article on Modern Man discusses seven such options you can purchase, providing a description of each one. There is also a related article that discusses 7 things you didn’t know about moonshine.
Global Alexa Rating: 312,875
This article on the Countryfarm Lifestyles website discusses how to make moonshine in 21 easy steps using a pressure cooker still. Besides the narrative, there is a nice infographic detailing the steps for those that learn best through graphics. There is also a 10+ minute video showing the process as well as Pop Sutton’s 11-Part Documentary on making moonshine that is worth the time to watch. The old guy is a real hoot.
Global Alexa Rating: 391,985
Although the link is to one part on the Clawhammer Supply website that offers a corn whiskey recipe, there are a plenty of other articles on the site as well. You’ll find articles about making moonshine and resolving problems you might encounter so be sure to wander around when you get to the site. This company provides kits that include all the parts you need to make your own moonshine still. They are 100% copper which is very important to making safe moonshine.
6. Mile Hi Distilling: http://www.milehidistilling.com/moonshine-recipes/
Global Alexa Rating: 576,474
This company offers a ton of products and supplies for distilling and making moonshine. The link given is for their free moonshine recipes. They offer tons of products and run distilling classes and workshops if you want real hands-on training before you enter into this endeavor. Other useful parts of the website include a blog, FAQs, Free Stuff and How To section. You can also subscribe to their newsletter.
7. Georgia Ridge Copper Moonshine Stills: http://www.coppermoonshinestills.com/index.html
Global Alexa Rating: 786,217
This is another source for obtaining a copper still. They are all custom handcrafted and you have plenty of models to choose from including distillers for other purposes such as crafting essential oils. The site also has a lot of great information on it. Be sure to select the free moonshine recipes section for quite a few unique recipes. There is also a section on federal law and permits and state laws and permits.
8. Drinking in America: http://www.drinkinginamerica.com/best-make-your-own-moonshine-tutorial/
Global Alexa Rating: 1,280,832
This blog site about drinking includes blogs on cocktails, spirits, beer, wine and cider. The link given is for a tutorial for making moonshine, but you really have to love their disclaimer which reads, “Before you go running out to buy your bag of cornmeal to make moonshine, our stodgy lawyers insist we remind you that making moonshine isn’t just dangerous, it’s also illegal. This recipe is meant for entertainment purposes and anyone who actually follows through with it should be both admired for their ambition and mocked for their stupidity.”
9. Tim Smith Moonshine: http://timsmithmoonshine.com/moonshine.html
Global Alexa Rating: 1,900,563
You may have seen Tim Smith’s Climax Moonshine if you live in Georgia or South Carolina for a while and he’s added some other states to the list as well. There is a map on the site that shows which states it is available, pending or available by special order. Just enter your zip code and it will tell you where you can purchase it. Besides that, there are plenty of articles about moonshine, including the link given above which talks about the history of moonshine
10. How to Make Moonshine: http://howtomakemooonshine.weebly.com/index.html
Global Alexa Rating: 3,157,125
This site includes the basics, moonshining equipment, moonshine recipes and videos. The recipes section includes ways to use moonshine such as a moonshine margarita, moonshine jello shots and ways to cook with it as well such as using it in a marinade or BBQ sauce. There is even a moonshine pie recipe. Be sure to check out the Good Reads section as well.
Old “shiners” had to worry about people stealing, and you might also if word gets around that you’re making some great hooch. So, you either might want to keep it to yourself or plan to make extra for all your new friends! Even if you can’t make it legally where you live right now, those that are preparing for doomsday like to have all the stuff ready to go should there become a time when there is no government to stop them. Then again, you could go into the woods.. wink, wink.
