- In 1984, 21 officially became the national drinking age.
- "I drink to make other people more interesting." - Ernest Hemingway
- "Moonshine" got its name because people secretly brewed at night, under the light of the moon.
- The legal limit of blood alcohol content in the U.S. is .08%.
- "I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me." - Winston Churchill
- Moonshining in Appalachia began when settlers found a new way to make whiskey using corn that grew in the region.
- Firing up a still for the first time is considered a rite of passage for moonshiners everywhere.
- Straight out of the still, moonshine can be up to 190 proof.
- A bootlegger or "runner" brings jugs of moonshine filled at the still site to a stash house.
- To get the proof of a spirit, double its percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV).
- Stock car racing was inspired by moonshiners' constant need for faster cars to outrun police.
- "In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria." - Benjamin Franklin
- Moonshining season runs from June to October, when corn is harvested and forest foliage has the most coverage.
- ABC stands for Alcohol Beverage Control.
- Fresh moonshine from the still is stored in a "stash house" until it's ready to be transported.
- Vapor being captured from the still cap can reach temperatures of up to 175 degrees fahrenheit.
- The most vulnerable part of the still is the cap, which needs a groove seal to keep the cook steam from popping it off.
- Moonshining is illegal. Those caught moonshining can be sentenced to prison.
- "Mash" is the mixture of water, corn, and sugar boiled in a still.
- You can't produce moonshine without a "worm", a copper pipe that condenses mash vapor into liquid moonshine.
- Rumrunners are similar to moonshiners, but they smuggle goods by sea, using fast ships with hidden cargo holds.
- The Mason jar was invented and patented by John L. Mason in 1858.
- A true Mason jar has a rubber ring on the lid that creates an airtight seal.
- Another name for a Mason jar is a 'Ball' jar, named after the Ball Corporation which still makes the jars to this day.
- In 1791, a whiskey tax was levied to pay off the national debt, which caused the Whiskey Rebellion. The tax still exists today.
- Moonshining practices date back to the 1700's.
- Moonshining is a $100 million tax free industry.
- According to Tim, moonshiners make up to $100,000 a year.
- The first step in making moonshine is filling 3/4ths of the still with water.
- The first few ounces of moonshine produced in a cook are known as the "high end" or the "head".
- The head of the moonshine batch contains Methanol, which can cause blindness to drinkers if not disposed of properly.
- Popcorn Sutton produced 'shine twice the proof of a bottle of commercial whiskey.
- The word bootlegging comes from the early days of moonshining, when 'shiners transported illegal liquor in their boots.
- Bootleggers were known to hold fake funerals, filling coffins with illegal alcohol for undetected transportation.
- The most innovative still site on record is the 1970's "cemetery still", which hid underground operations with aboveground tombstones.
- During Prohibition, a bottle of water was ceremoniously broken across the bow of the USS Washington instead of a bottle of Champagne.
- Tim and Tickle have been a 'shining team for 30 years.
- Jeff is a 7th generation moonshiner from the mountains of North Carolina.
- Mark is a 4th generation moonshiner, mountain man, and expert marksman.
- Proof can be guessed by shaking the 'shine and letting expert eyes determine if "beads," "frog eyes," or "mare's tails" rise in the jar.
- Jim Tom has been making moonshine since he was twelve.
- Spirits cooked in food still have up to 85% of the original alcohol content.
- During Prohibition, moonshiners used white sugar instead of corn meal, to produce a cheaper product that was actually rum, not whiskey.
- Moonshine comes out of the still as clear as water.
- Commercial alcohols have an amber or golden color to them, caused by years of aging in charred oak barrels.
- Vodka is the most popular hard alcohol in the United States.
- A man survived the Titanic after imbibing alcohol before plunging into the water.
- A longer aging process gives alcohol color and mellows the initial harsh taste of the liquor.
- You won't find a more delicious cure for your hangover than a bacon sandwich.
- By 1830 the average American drank 1.7 bottles of hard liquor per week!
- The repeal of prohibition allowed Walgreens to sell whisky and wine, helping them become such a large company!
- In America, alcohol commercials cannot show someone actually drinking the alcohol!
- Moonshiners are not known for their careful maintenance of sanitary conditions.
- To improve potency, some Moonshiners have been known to experiment with adding manure, embalming fluid, bleach, rubbing alcohol, and even paint thinner to batches.
- It takes about two to three passes through the still to remove all the impurities from the alcohol.
- Moldova consumes about 18.22 liters of alcohol annually per capita. A large portion of which is home-brewed wine and spirits.
- Religious restrictions keep consumption low in Afghanistan and Yemen. At 0.02 liters of alcohol per person these countries drink the least.
- The U.S. ranks relatively low in total alcohol consumption at 57th amongst developed countries.
- On average, guys drink twice as much as girls.
- It's estimated that 35% of the nation doesn't drink alcohol.
- M.A.D.D. greatly influenced drinking age legislation in the United States.
- Jaegermeister was originally used as a cough medicine and digestive.
- At one point during the Whiskey Rebellion, President George Washington called for a gathering of 13,000 militiamen to disperse the mob and capture its leaders.
- Speakeasies were a name for saloons that illegally sold alcohol during Prohibition.
- Moonshiners are rarely arrested or charged with making illegal liquor; they're charged primarily for tax evasion.
- Corn is the basis for whiskey production because it's a major farming crop that is native to America.
- In the early days, practically every farmer made whiskey.
- By 1810, there were at least 2,000 distillers producing almost 2 million gallons of U.S. whiskey.
- Historically, whiskey production is a way to turn surplus grains into a valuable commodity.
- Moonshine is also known as Rotgut, white lightning, bathtub gin, popskull, panther's breath, and corn liquor.
- Rum was first distilled using molasses from sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean.
- Prior to the Revolutionary War, it's estimated that each person drank an average of 3.6 gallons of rum per year.
- Gin started off as an herbal medicine in the Middle Ages.
- The Gin Craze in England began when thousands of gin shops opened during the 18th century.
- Bourbon is made from a grain mixture containing at least 51% corn.
- American whiskey is exported to over 100 countries worldwide.
- Most bourbon is produced in Kentucky or Tennessee.
- Distilling in Kentucky is a tradition likely started by Scottish and Irish immigrants in the late 18th century.
- Alcoholic fruit juices, including wine and hard ciders, were often exceptions during Prohibition.
- Cocktail mixers became popular during Prohibition because they helped mask the smell and taste of bootleg liquor.
- The term "moonshine" comes from Britain, where it originally was a verb, "moonshining."
- During Prohibition, Coca Cola was advertised as the ideal "temperance drink."
- Alcoholic beverages contain 13 minerals.
- The winner of the first ever NASCAR race had used the same car to make a bootleg run just a week earlier.
- A thump keg can be used to catch any remaining bits of mash and re-evaporates the alcohol to filter it out.
- Fruits can be used instead of grains in the moonshining process.
- "Lose on the track, and you go home. Lose with a load of whiskey, and you go to jail." -Junior Johnson
- "Well, between Scotch and nothin', I suppose I'd take Scotch. It's the nearest thing to good moonshine I can find." -William Faulkner
