How Much Moonshine Is Too Much?

Posted on by Gaspar Aparicio

How Much Moonshine Is Too Much
Consuming Methanol In Moonshine – Upon first sip, the dangerous potential of methanol is undetectable. It will simply get people drunker. However, after it is metabolized, the methanol can have an extremely harmful effect in someone’s body.10 milliliters (ml) of methanol is all it takes to permanently damage the optic nerve and cause partial, if not complete, blindness.30 ml of methanol is lethal.

  1. For reference, and standard shot glass in the United States holds 40 ml.
  2. If less than 10 ml of methanol is consumed then the worst someone will experience is a hangover, (albeit, quite possibly the worst hangover of their life).
  3. However, if someone consumes 10 ml or more of methanol, even split up among drinks, that can be enough to cause permanent damage or kill them.

While there are processes today to discard the toxic alcohol that is visually indistinguishable from water, some illegal Moonshiners will add methanol back in to provide a stronger potency. Obviously, without regulation, there is no way to know if illicit alcohol contains methanol.

How much moonshine should you drink?

Download Article Download Article Moonshine is a tasty whiskey drink that was first brewed during the prohibition era in the United States. Now, you can buy moonshine at most liquor stores in a variety of different flavors, and some people still make their own at home.

  1. 1 Combine moonshine and cola for a classic drink. Since moonshine is a form of whiskey, you can easily make one of the most popular and tasty alcoholic beverages. Add your preferred amount of ice to a tall glass. Then, pour 2 shots of moonshine and 12 oz (335 mL) of cola over the ice for a cool drink.
    • Some moonshines have a cola taste to them due to the flavor of distilled corn, so this can make for an even sweeter drink.
  2. 2 Mix a can of light beer with a shot of moonshine for a boozy cocktail. Add 1 shot of moonshine into the bottom of a glass. Then, choose a lager or a light ale, and pour 12 oz (350 ML) of the beer into the glass. You can add ice for a cooler drink, or enjoy it without ice. Tip: Combine a lemon- or blueberry-flavored moonshine with any light beer for an extra refreshing, fizzy drink in the summer. Advertisement
  3. 3 Add ginger ale to moonshine to take some of the bitterness out of the alcohol. Put a shot of any flavor of moonshine into a highball glass with ice. Then, pour 12 oz (335 mL) of ginger ale into the glass over the ice. Taste the drink to see if it’s acceptable, and add more ginger ale until you reach a suitable taste.
    • You should always use non-alcoholic ginger ale, rather than a ginger beer, if you want to make a weaker drink. The alcohol in ginger beer can actually make the moonshine taste stronger.
  4. 4 Make Tennessee-style iced tea with moonshine, iced tea, and lemonade. Mix together equal parts iced tea and lemonade to make an Arnold Palmer. Then, combine that with 1 part moonshine in a glass filled with ice. Be sure to stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure that it’s evenly combined.
    • You can also add 2-3 mint leaves and a wedge of lemon as a garnish for this refreshing beverage.

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  1. 1 Drink water after you drink moonshine to stay hydrated. Alcohol can make your body dehydrated, especially high-proof alcohol like moonshine. Drink water in between every alcoholic beverage, even if you drink whiskey often. When you finish your moonshine drink, have a full glass of water before having another.
    • You can drink flavored water, like coconut water or a flavored sports drink, if you don’t like the taste of plain water.

    Did You Know? In Thailand, traditional herbal moonshine is known as “ya dong.” Shots of ya dong are served with a small glass of water, a piece of fruit, and a few pickled olives.

  2. 2 Chase moonshine with a drink of pickle juice to relieve the burning. The alcohol taste of straight moonshine can leave your throat burning after just a small drink. Keep a glass of pickle juice nearby to counteract the burning by taking a drink of the juice after each drink of moonshine.
    • This can be especially helpful if you never drink whiskey since the saltiness of the pickle juice neutralizes the burn of the alcohol.
    • You can use any kind of pickle juice or brine that you have available.
  3. 3 Pour smaller drinks to avoid a nasty hangover. Depending on what kind of moonshine you’re drinking, it may contain trace amounts of chemicals that can be harmful if ingested in large quantities. Even in small quantities, they can cause terrible headaches and discomfort. To prevent this, make “half shots” of moonshine, or only take small sips from your glass to pace yourself.
    • Keep in mind that illegally-distilled moonshine can contain very large amounts of methanol, which can cause blindness or even death if ingested.

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Add New Question

  • Question Can you drink moonshine straight? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer
  • Question Do you drink moonshine warm or cold? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Either way—it depends on your preference and the type of drink. For example, you might drink straight moonshine at room temperature. Or, warm up some apple pie moonshine for a toasty, comforting drink on a cold fall or winter night. You can also drink it as a chilled cocktail with ginger ale or iced tea.
  • Question Do you have to refrigerate moonshine? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer

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It’s easy to get drunk on moonshine quickly, since it’s so strong. Try to limit yourself to 1 drink per hour if you’re drinking moonshine.

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Never drink moonshine from an uncertified distiller, since you can’t be sure what is in the alcohol.

Advertisement Article Summary X Moonshine is a whiskey drink that you can either drink straight with a chaser or make a mixed drink out of. If you want to drink it straight with a chaser, drink pickle juice after your shot of moonshine to relieve the burning sensation.

How much moonshine is lethal?

Consuming Methanol In Moonshine – Upon first sip, the dangerous potential of methanol is undetectable. It will simply get people drunker. However, after it is metabolized, the methanol can have an extremely harmful effect in someone’s body.10 milliliters (ml) of methanol is all it takes to permanently damage the optic nerve and cause partial, if not complete, blindness.30 ml of methanol is lethal.

  1. For reference, and standard shot glass in the United States holds 40 ml.
  2. If less than 10 ml of methanol is consumed then the worst someone will experience is a hangover, (albeit, quite possibly the worst hangover of their life).
  3. However, if someone consumes 10 ml or more of methanol, even split up among drinks, that can be enough to cause permanent damage or kill them.

While there are processes today to discard the toxic alcohol that is visually indistinguishable from water, some illegal Moonshiners will add methanol back in to provide a stronger potency. Obviously, without regulation, there is no way to know if illicit alcohol contains methanol.

Can moonshine be safe?

Methanol Risks – While the flammability of the moonshine distillation process is dangerous in and of itself, the health effects of moonshine-methanol consumption pose an even bigger threat. More people have died from drinking moonshine than by any explosions at stills, despite the few old and handmade stills that are left.

  • A major risk of drinking moonshine is methanol blindness.
  • Detecting methanol upon the first step is impossible, and consuming more of it will simply get the person drunker.
  • However, it’s eventually metabolized as its toxic metabolite, formic acid, in the body, which can have an extremely harmful effect.

Just 10 milliliters (ml) of methanol is all it takes to cause permanent optic and partial nerve damage, if not complete blindness. As little as 30 ml of methanol is lethal, and, for reference, a standard shot glass in the U.S. holds 40 ml. Old stills use car radiators during the distilling process, which often contain lead soldering and remnants of antifreeze glycol products that could contaminate and add toxins to the moonshine.

Larger batches of moonshine are more likely to contain methanol. Because methanol is vaporized or evaporated at a lower temperature than alcohol, the first liquid produced by the distillation process usually contains methanol. While moonshiners have adopted new ways to discard methanol, some moonshiners will actually add it back into the batch to make the drink more potent.

4 things beginner moonshiners should do right away

However, because these processes aren’t regulated, there’s no way of knowing whether the illicit alcohol actually contains any methanol.

How much moonshine is a serving?

A standard serving contains about ½ fluid ounce of ‘pure’ alcohol, regardless of the type of alcohol.