Until recently it had been years since I heard about moonshine. Moonshine was originally a slang term for spirits that were usually made without government authorization. It is a homemade whiskey that is not aged, and therefore it is clear.
After the Revolutionary War, whiskey was among the items taxed to pay for the war. For this reason, poor farmers built stills in the wilderness, usually in the Appalachians, and distilled whiskey at night. Hence the name «moonshine.”
In fact, in the TV shows I watched as a kid, moonshine was the running joke. Remember Granny Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies? She was excellent at touting her “medicine” in a jug marked XXX. Granny joked that her Rheumatism Medicine didn’t actually cure the aches and pains, “but it sure makes you happy you got it.” I loved it when she took a swig and started doing backflips!
I was looking for more information on Granny’s recipes and found out that Granny wrote a cookbook in the 1960s. Unfortunately, her moonshine recipe was not included.
Another favorite show, the Walton’s, had the Baldwin Sisters touting their Papa’s “recipe” in nearly every episode. Of course, all the men were anxious to drink the moonshine, and all the women were horrified that the Baldwins were making “the recipe.” This show took time in our history that wasn’t really funny and brought it to life.
Whenever my family went camping when I was young my brother and I would start the goodnight “John Boy,” “Goodnight Mary Ellen” round robin at bedtime. You have to be a certain age to even understand this reference.
The recent popularity of moonshine is a legal version, even during prohibition, called Good Girl Moonshine.
The flavors are amazing, and it promotes the drinking of apple cider vinegar. It is now a trend that apple cider vinegar is excellent for your health, but I have to warn you, do not attempt to drink this straight from the bottle. It is strong, and it will burn your throat almost as bad as real moonshine from a still!
I started experimenting with these recipes, and I have come to love them. I do feel a whole lot better. See Granny Clampett was right!
“My grandmother is over 80 and still doesn’t need glasses. She drinks moonshine right out of the jar.
Moonshine ain’t nothin’ but sunshine that’s been cooked down a little bit’ ~ Unknown
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole
community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it
whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die,
for the harder I work, the more I live.”
~ George Bernard Shaw
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