Anyone here ever have real Moonshine?

[Taverner]

How does it differ from the legal stuff, like 195 Proof Everclear? Does it taste different? Is it in fact, better - and does one mix it or drink it straight.

Personally, I see no reason why it's still illegal. If they're worried about someone blowing themselves up, why not ban campfires too? And if they're worried about health concerns, well, its just as easy to drink yourself to death with Glenlivet as it is moonshine.

[anarch]

1. I think what they're worried about is people avoiding taxation

Goddamn revenuers!

[Lars39]

2. People were getting poisoned to death.

[Ron Green]

3. I once drank from a bottle labeled "Guaranteed less than 30 days old."

It was some nasty shit, but it got me drunk.

[seemunkee]

21. Sounds like Georgia Moon

harsh stuff. Had some many years ago for the novelty.

[Beetwasher]

4. Yes

Not really different from Everclear. I would suggest mixing it, it's very hard to drink straight.

Everclear is much more powerful than Glenlivet. Yes, both can kill you if you drink too much, but Everclear can do it much quicker w/ a much smaller amount. You can also go blind.

[Taverner]

5. Well that's the risk you take

Im kind of a Libertarian in that regard. I've always been a beleiver in Caveat Emptor - since it exists in so many other forms in capitalism. I mean, if you buy a product known to cause cancer, that's legal. If you buy milk with rBST that's legal....

[Beetwasher]

22. I Agree

I was just illuminating the differences. Hell, I think coke, crack and heroin should be legal, but controlled.

[Maddy McCall]

6. Yes, I have.

I never drank it straight, but I smelled it while it was in the jar...it smelled like gasoline.

We always mixed it with fruit juice (like Hawaiian Punch) and added canned fruit (like peaches and pineapples) to it, and we called it "Whoop Juice." It was very potent. Even eating the fruit would be-drunk you.

Actually, moonshine can have lead in it from the still, and it CAN kill you if fermented improperly. I now know what I didn't then--that I put my life in my best friend's dad's mechanic's hands everytime I drank it. I knew the guy who distilled it--he was no rocket scientist, and I'm still alive, so I guess that's a testament to his corn alcohol making abilities.

[Taverner]

7. Did it taste better/worse than Everclear?

Or did it taste the same?

I understand most of its appeal is that it's tax free - but there has to be some other reason people drink it.

[Maddy McCall]

10. Worse.

And I'm talking about mixing it...

It tasted much worse than everclear (which we used in the Whoop Juice when moonshine wasn't available).

The appeal is that, in many cases, the people who make it give it away for free--they want other people to appreciate their great talent. It's just like people who make their own cane syrup down here--they spend a whole weekend making it, and then they give it to their friends.

Our moonshine was free.

[Taverner]

11. That is actually pretty cool

I know it can be dangerous, but I'll bet the folks who have been doing it a long time make safer stuff...

[Maddy McCall]

12. We're all still here.

When we were teens, my best friend's dad gave us a big jar from his stash every weekend, and we mixed up the stuff...and we had parties...at least 30-40 people at each party, every weekend.

We're just lucky that we had safe stuff. In retrospect, I can't even imagine the trouble my friend's dad would have been in, had the moonshine been bad.

[Taverner]

13. Or if the moonshine was good

And other parents found out :)

Your dad sounds hella cool!

[Maddy McCall]

16. Not my dad, my best friend's dad.

My dad is cool, but not THAT cool. :D

My best friend's dad had a camp on the river--he called it "the Yacht Club,"--and we all gathered up there every weekend. He let us smoke, drink, get crazy...he played Merle Haggard on the stereo and we sat around a fire, drank, laughed, and occasionally passed out. I think we kept him young. :D

[GumboYaYa]

8. I have. on several occasions It is very high octane.

It is similar to everclear, but many times will be much less smooth if you can imagine that. Sometimes people put herbs or other flavors in the shine to smooth out the taste.

[RebelOne]

9. Yup, many, many years ago in Alabama.

My ex-husband's uncle was a moonshiner. That stuff is nasty. And there was even a worm in the bottom of the jug. Drink any more than one glass of it and you will have a hangover for a week.

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Does Grappa count?

I'd admit I make it, but because it's illegal I won't. Cut your moonshine to 80 proof (40%) before drinking! Don't forget pure moonshine is flammable (or is it inflammable) so be careful.

[tjwmason]

23. Any strong spirit is flammable.

Some folk set fire to their sambucca before drinking it.

Navy Strength Plymouth Gin is 57% a.b.v. - now I just need to find me a stockist....

[BigMcLargehuge]

15. I've had Cape Verdean moonshine

and it's always flavored with some form of fruit, raisins was good, as was cherries, as was apples and orange peels. Goes down a little rough.

Moonshine! The beveraged that helped me ruin the family Christmas of 1992!

[Taverner]

17. Were you in the Peace Corps too by any chance?

I was - Thailand 92-95

[BigMcLargehuge]

20. Nope, I considered it when I was in college

but decided to come back and help out with the family restaurant for a few years before finishing my education.

[kwassa]

18. Corn liqour, as it is known.

Whenever we get together with my wife's extended family, some of the boys huddle together out back. Usually in a tupperware pitcher, poured in styrofoam cups. Has a strong corn odor, but is completely clear.

I think it is more a male cultural bonding thing, so I engage in the practice. Flavorwise, I prefer real bourbon or scotch. Or beer.

The stuff is expensive, too. Have to have a connection to bring it up from down south, because it isn't made around here.

[TheBaldyMan]

19. I've had Poteen and polish spirit - KAPOW !

it's nice stuff but my tastebuds were too intimidated by it to notice the flavour.

Definately to be drunk in small quantities if straight or with water.

[MadHound]

24. Yes I have,

And the taste really depends on who makes it. Most of the stuff I had was from a good ol' boy friend of mine in rural Missouri, and was actually quite fine, both tastewise and smoothness, much better than Everclear. However I foolishly tried another fellows stuff one time, and it was just flat out godawful.

But no matter who makes it, it is damn potent stuff. Just a little will go a long, long way.

[JitterbugPerfume]

25. I did once (years ago)on a dare

nasty shit

[hobo_baggins]

26. I'm drinking 151 right now...only ever had moonshine once

and even then, it was only a sip...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

27. Actually, yes.

Save yourself some trouble. Go to your local Exxon or BP, guy yourself a gallon of "Ultra", put it in a Big Gulp cup, and have at it, because it's pretty much the same shit.

[Rowdyboy]

28. A few times....I didn't really care for it.....

I like mine a little smoother.

[Montauk6]

29. It was one of my favorite Faygo flavors growing up!

Detroit's answer to Mountain Dew, mmmmm!

[radwriter0555]

30. Good stuff. We used cranberry juice as a mixer, and it was awesome.

Strong, very, VERY strong. Like, dragon fire.

Major buzz, serious hangover, absolutely amazing and stunning.

I could never handle it now... I was young then.

[Xithras]

31. Moonshine is just crap rum made by amateurs.

And before anyone tries to correct me by telling me it's whiskey, let me remind you that the two primary incredients in modern moonshine are corn based hog feed (yep, pig food) and SUGAR. By definition, all distilled spirits made with sugar are rums, but I've argued with countless people who seem to think that they're whiskies just because they're made with corn.

If you really want to know what it tastes like, go buy a bottle of the cheapest rum you can find, mix it in a bucket 50/50 with Everclear, and add a capful of rubbing alcohol, two drops of gasoline, and a drop of laquer thinner to the mix. Stir well and take a (very small) shot. The mix wont kill you, but its so vile you'll quickly toss it.

There are some people who DO make good moonshine, but without exception it's because they've altered the recipe's and are just making straight whiskey or straight rum, and they're doing it in a good rig. They can still call it moonshine because it's illegally distilled, but it's really no different than the rums or whiskeys that you can buy in a store. Moonshining is only still around today because some people play with it as a hobby, and there are some people who get off on the whole "sticking it to the man" part of the process (making AND buying). Moonshine USED to be popular because it was far cheaper than legal alcohol, so many poor people drank it for economic reasons. Mass production has made legal alcohol cheaper than shine, so it's almost purely nostalgic at this point. While it's still technically illegal, the feds don't bother with people unless they're trying to make a commercial enterprise out of it. Nobody is going to bust you for making some shine in your backyard for your own consumption.

BTW, as for how to drink it: It's often mixed with water, iced tea, or some other similarly weak drink. Genuine moonshine generally doesn't mix well, but it's too strong to drink straight (unless you WANT to die). When it's drank in any quantity, it's mixed to dilute it.

[SKKY]

32. Good Ole Hazard County Corn Mash...

...as my Grandmother would say, "It'll put hair on your chest and put lead in your pencil." I never really knew what that meant until I typed this. I think it means, "It'll make a man out of you."

[blindpig]

33. There's a place called Dark Corners near here

that's famous for the stuff. Nowadays it's more of a craft thing, like brewing your own beer but illegal. Very good, clean stuff, sometimes flavored with cherry or peach in the jar. Proof is just a matter of adulteration for drink-ability. Prefer the clear myself.

[Benfea]

34. They make strawberry shine in central Florida, but I never tried it -NT