The History of Moonshine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History of Moonshine

Well, volumes of books have been written about moonshine so here is the Short version.

1830 thru 1860′s Scot-Irish settled the Virginian Highlands as the region reminded them of home.
They brought the distilling skills with them and due to the difficult topography it was a source of medicine, altered states and many other uses. The framers found it easier to transport a barrel of corn than a wagon load of corn with better profits.
1870′s thru 1900′s-Being so isolated from the rest of the country, distillers naturally didn’t want to pay taxes so they moved operations to remote areas and worked at night. But even so, there where over 15,000 registered stills in the US. Then Prohibition.

1910 thru 1930′s- All distilling went illegal, but the demand did not. Thus due to the location of the Appalachian Mountains and the fact that the infrastructure was here (corn, water and skill), moonshine flourished. It really gave birth to organized crime and was very profitable.

1930′s and on - Prohibition repealed but these people didn’t stop, the excise taxes became so high it was worth the risk to make it. Out running the law became the new skill set and so NASCAR was born. The moonshine runners were experts and could make engines really run. Neccessity is the mother of invention.