Call it “hooch,” call it “white lightning,” call it the original “Mountain Dew,” whatever you call it, Americans have been making moonshine, or illegally distilled liquor, dating back decades, with a particularly heightened interest in the process spiking during the Prohibition Era, from 1920 to 1933. Moonshining is a well known process in mainstream America, easily recognized by its iconic mason jars, used to bottle the product through much of its early years of production. Historically, moonshine has been particularly prevalent in the Appalachian region of the United States, where many people have traditionally operated small scale distilleries providing their very own, albeit contraband, whiskey. In fact, the name “moonshine” stems from the illegal nature of the products manufacturing as unlicensed distillers were forced to work at night time, or “by the light of the moon,” in order to produce their liquor without arousing the suspicion of local law enforcement. Read More »