3 Surprising Moonshine Facts With its long and rich history in our region, we East Tennesseans love our moonshine. Coupled with its delicious taste, it is something our state is known for and takes pride in. However — like anything deep in tradition — no matter how much we think we know about moonshine, it has plenty of secrets. Here are a few little-known facts about the beloved spirit:
The Meaning Behind Those Three X’s
Ever seen one of those cartoons of Appalachian folk holding big jugs marked “XXX”? Those three X’s became an iconic symbol of moonshine — if a jug had that special marking, you knew what was in it. But what is the meaning behind it? Simply put, the X marking indicated how many times that particular batch of moonshine was distilled.
The Reason for the Mason Jar
For people new to moonshine, they might see the classic mason jar as quite difficult to manage, especially when trying to pour it into a glass. However, there’s a reason modern moonshine distillers have stuck to the age-old jar — tradition. In the south, everything is canned, from fruit preserves to green beans to alcohol.
It’s Smoother Than You Might Think
Moonshine has the reputation of “burning” and being hard to swallow. Maybe it’s the high alcohol content. But interestingly, most modern moonshine from distilleries are bottled at 100 proof, which can be lower than many popular liquors like whiskey, vodka, and gin.
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What is a moonshine jug called?
The History of Moonshine Jugs – While they are not the only way to store moonshine, moonshine jugs are often associated with ‘white lightning’. Traditionally, stoneware jugs, also referred to as liquor crocks or jugs, whiskey jugs, and shoulder jugs, were used to store moonshine.
While these type of jugs are not exclusively used to store moonshine, they are certainly forever linked with storing spirits. These old whisky jugs don’t contain harmful chemicals or lead. They are quality-made and durable stoneware that are very easy to clean. You can safely drink and store water, soda, fruit juice, fermented tea, or liquor in these old whiskey jugs.
Moonshine jugs can also be used as a rustic decoration. In this article, we have reviewed the best old moonshine jugs so you can make an informed buying decision.
Is moonshine considered Whisky?
Moonshine: From Woods To Whiskey Throughout its storied past, moonshine has been called many things: shine, white lightning, hooch, fire water, white dog, or bathtub gin. Without regulation, there was no standardization to the methods or monikers of “moonshine”.
- Currently, to be called “moonshine”, there are some loose qualifications the spirit must meet.
- Ultimately, moonshine is grain alcohol at its purest form.
- Moonshine was originally made in secret during the prohibition era and, to contemporary purists, it’s not considered “moonshine” unless it’s clandestine.
However, most distilleries now legally produce moonshine, regardless of whether they bottle and sell a product labeled as “moonshine.” Whiskey, prior to aging, is moonshine! So, What is Moonshine? Moonshine is defined as a homemade, un-aged whiskey, marked by its clear color, corn base, and high alcohol content (sometimes peaking as high as 190 proof).
- Traditionally, it was produced in a homemade still and bottled in a mason jar.
- For most of its history, moonshine was distilled in secret to avoid taxes and alcohol bans (specifically during the Prohibition Era).
- The term “moonshiner” was popularized in the 18 th century, where individuals deep in the woods of the Appalachia attempting to avoid being caught by police distilled under the light of the moon.
How it’s Made Moonshine consists of:
Corn Barley Wheat or Rye (optional) Yeast Water
While distillate or moonshine can be made from pretty much any type of grain, it originally was made from barley or rye. Moonshine at its purest form, is whiskey, or bourbon distillate. It is un-aged, high in proof, and clear in color. During the Prohibition Era, if grains were unavailable or too expensive, moonshiners would use white sugar which still gave them that alcohol “kick” they were looking for, but with a sweeter taste to it.
- Making moonshine has two main steps: fermentation and distillation.
- Fermentation is the process of yeast breaking down the sugars in the grains to produce alcohol.
- Once the fermentation process is complete, the “moonshine mash” (fermented grains and yeast) is sent to the still.
- As the temperature rises in the still, the steam is forced through the top of the still into the worm box.
The worm box is typically a barrel with cold water flowing through it and a metal coil pipe down the center. Alcohol vapors flow through the coil pipe where they cool and condense back into a liquid. The last part of distillation is the spout or valve that leads from the worm box to a bucket or steel drum.
Typically this would be sent through at least one filter, but potentially more. The “XXX” label, that has been popularized in moonshine imagery, was originally an indication of quality; each “X” represented a time that it had been distilled. Moonshine Today Moonshine has changed quite a bit since the backyard bottlers of Prohibition.
In 1933, U.S. alcohol production became legal, as long as you paid the appropriate taxes and had the correct permits. While this makes moonshine legal, you are still prohibited from distilling some at home. Why is this? Mainly for safety reasons. Distilling is a very precise chemical process that, when done incorrectly, can create a dangerous environment or produce a toxic libation.
- Governmental regulations are not just for tax purposes, but to protect the consumer from drinking something that could cause serious health issues.
- Unlike other spirits, legally produced moonshine can be made with any source material, at any proof, can have coloring and flavoring added – the works.
- There are no rules for its classification,” said Colin Blake, director of spirits education,
With such a loose classification of this grain alcohol, many different flavored products can still be considered moonshine! At Jeptha Creed, we offer a high-proof original moonshine highlighting the traditional flavor profile, but made with modern distillation processes.
- All of our moonshines start with the same four grains as our flagship bourbon, featuring our heirloom Bloody Butcher Corn.
- If you’re less interested in this pure un-aged whiskey flavor, we have expanded into the modern spectrum of moonshine with a naturally-flavored lineup.
- Delicious moonshine flavors like apple pie, blackberry, cinnamon, and lemonade represent our ode to the history with a focus on the future.
Our moonshine is even sold in mason jars as a “hats off” to the non-regulated history it came from. Our line of moonshines are a far cry from the potentially deadly spirits that used to flow from homemade stills. Representing its full integration into the contemporary alcohol industry, moonshine now even has its own holiday! National Moonshine Day is on the first Thursday in June (June 2 nd of 2022).
What does 10 mean for alcohol?
10 blood alcohol level is considered legally drunk. MOST STATES PRACTICE ZERO-TOLERANCE. LAWS, meaning if you are under 21 any alcohol in your. system is against the law.
What does 42 vv alcohol mean?
The V/V that we spot on the labels of our bottles, basically means alcohol by volume. – Proof also helps to keep with government regulations. If the proof turns out to be more than the government regulated content, it cannot be sold anywhere. The regulated amount in India is 42.8% V/V. ‘Proof’ originated in 16th century England, when spirits were being taxed according to their alcohol content. Interestingly, the British devised the ‘gunpowder method’ to test the proof, by soaking a pellet of gunpowder in the spirit. If the gunpowder still burned, the spirit was termed as ‘above proof’ and taxed higher.
UK has, since then, shifted to ABV – Alcohol By Volume and India and Canada followed the example.The Americans came out with another method in which 2 proof equalled 1% alcohol V/V; so a 100 Proof bottle simply has 50% Alcohol V/V.Now that we are all whizzes at the ABV thing, let’s find out the different alcohol content in our favourite drinks.
What are slang for alcohol sizes?
Frequently Asked Questions About Liquor Bottle Sizes – If you want to plan well your bar inventory and know more about bottle sizes, types of alcohol and more, this section will be helpful. What are the different sizes of liquor bottles? Alcohol bottles come in a variety of sizes.
The standard size is 750 ml, also known as a fifth (one-fifth of a gallon). Other common sizes include 50 ml, 100 ml, 200 ml, 375 ml, 1 L, and 1.75 L. What are the sizes of vodka bottles? Vodka and other spirits generally come in 50 ml (1.7 ounces), 200 ml (6.8 ounces), 375 ml (12.7 ounces), 750 ml (25.4 ounces), 1 L (33.8 ounces), and 1.75 L (59.2 ounces).
How many shots are in a bottle of liquor? Nip/Miniature (1 shot), quarter pint (2 shots), half-pint (4 shots), pint (8 shots), standard bottle/”fifth” (16 shots), liter (22 shots), and half-gallon/handle (36 shots). What’s the most popular type of alcohol? Beer is the most popular and most often consumed type of alcohol in the world.
- It’s followed by spirits, wine, cider, and cocktail drinks,
- What’s considered a moderate amount of alcohol? 12 fluid ounces of beer (355 milliliters) and 5 fluid ounces of wine (148 milliliters) are considered to be a moderate amount of alcohol healthy adults may consume.
- More than that on a daily bases may lead to health issues and other conditions.
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What does GTS mean whiskey?
GTS = George T. Stagg. H21 = Hirsch 21; H22 = Hirsch 22, etc. Hazmat = Any whiskey over 140 proof (not allowed to go on a plane) HH = Heaven Hill.
What does J & B stand for in whiskey?
J&B History | Justerini & Brooks Brand Story
HOME The Serves The Family of Products The Story
A master distiller from Italy, Giacamo Justerini (the ‘J’ in J&B), falls head over heels for an Opera singer, Margherita Bellini, and follows her to England. His love is unrequited, but Margherita introduces him to Samuel Johnson who will in turn introduce him to his future business partner, his nephew, George Johnson.
Two generations of Johnsons later we meet the other initial in J&B – Alfred Brooks. Brooks buys the company from Johnson and renames it Justerini & Brooks. Brooks hears of Andrew Usher, an Edinburgh Spirit merchant, who likes to experiment and was the first person to commercially blend whisky.
Justerini & Brooks task Usher with creating a smoother blend for a new audience, so he brings his business partner into the mix – James Anderson. Together they develop the J&B Club blend, one of the earliest Scotch house blends, and they acquire the business together.
Enter Eddie Tatham, a family friend of Anderson’s. Eddie is hugely charismatic and soon becomes director of the company. In 1929, the creation of J&B Rare was put in jeopardy when Eddie, after taking orders from wealthy clients in Prohibition-era America, was arrested at Grand Central Station carrying a briefcase full of samples.
Eddie is bailed out and meets Charlie Julian, a blender known for his great nose, refined palate and his instinctive knowledge of consumer demands. They begin the blending process for J&B Rare – just in time for Prohibition to come to an end.
We’re now celebrating over 250 years of J&B, a history filled with dynamic individuals and a heritage built on chance encounters. A story that shows the good that happens when people come together. A brand that’s made for people who like to mix things up.
What does NATO mean whiskey?
Ordering a neat drink, meaning ordering a drink without ice, water, added ingredients, or actions outside of a simple pour (such as shaking or stirring), is a great way to order high-quality liquor — especially whiskey.
