Moonshine in SW Va

[mtnbkr]

I found this article about the history of Moonshining in SW Va.  FWIW, I lived there from 1989 till after graduating college in 1996.  My parents lived there till 2006.  My wife and her family are from the area.  I consider it my home even though I'm originally from NC.

I remember some of the antics mentioned in the article that took place in the 90s or later.  At the end, a sidebar mentions Whitey Taylor.  He was frequently in the news when I was a full time resident. :)

http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/moonshine/index.html

Chris

[French G.]

Moonshine was still happening 20 years ago when I was a kid in rural mountainous VA. I know because my dad did a fair amount of the metalwork on the stills, quite handy with silver solder and all. Paid in product. There is still a little going on here and there, good luck finding out about it.

[Jamisjockey]

I've had apple shine on trips to WV.  Just sayin....

[charby]

Still happening in Iowa, don' know much about it. 

[vaskidmark]

There is moonshining going on all over Virginia.

A word to the wise - get the seller (and maker, if not the same as the seller) to smile for you.  Check the color of their gums.  Anything besides pink, bleeding, or white are danger signs that the product may be contaminated with heavy metals.  If you see blue or black gums, run away!  It's a sign of lead poisoning.

Years ago (1970's) there were a few revenoors (ATF) who used to come in to the county dental clinic just to see whose gums were starting to turn color.  I think they stopped coming when someone told them the dangers of too many x-rays that were pointed at parts other than their jaws.  (Just because I was "the Welfare man" did not mean I was going to turn in any clients because of a little moonshining.  I had much bigger problems to deal with. )

Those not wanting to run the risk of home-made can try moonshine-like distilled beverages with names like Everclear, Virginia Lightning, Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey, Platte Valley Corn Whiskey Catdaddy and Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon.  These are produced commercially and sold in liquor stores, typically packaged in a clay jug or glass Mason jar.

stay safe.

skidmark

[Unisaw]

My wife grew up in the South Boston area of Virginia.  When we were dating, I would drive to her home for the weekends.  I once had to stop at an out-of-the way gas station.  The proprietor eventually came out to the pump and asked me if I was a revenuer!  This was in the late 1970s.  I'm sure it hasn't changed all that much.

[Fjolnirsson]

I drank quite a bit of moonshine when I was in high school in CA. S.F. Bay Area, seemed to be a pretty steady supply, as my buddies always had it.

[dm1333]

I had a room mate in Navy "A" school who would put corn and rice in his pockets when eating in the galley.  He was trying to make his own moonshine.  I wonder what effect pocket lint had on the taste?

[Tuco]

For the motorheads -
1963 Ford Galaxie R code (425 hp 427ci) confiscated in 1964 with 16000 original miles, stored in treasury lockup for 16 yrs, sold in 1980 for...

Wait for it....


1000 dollars.

 http://www.galaxieclub.com/internationalcarshow/members/2/800RumRunner/index.html

[dm1333]

That can't be stock paint, can it?  Either way me likey!

[Boomhauer]

My family used to be in the shine business back in the day. My great grandfather escaped from the clutches of a revenuer in VA by shrugging off his jacket when he was around 13 or so and jumped on a passing frieght train with his brother and made it down to SC.

I'm sure parts of my family is still involved in the 'shine business today. I wouldn't drink 'shine unless I knew who made it and how they did it. Too many producers today don't care about quality, use shoddy materials or whatnot, as mentioned above.

[stevelyn]

When I was a kid, Franklin County, VA had the reputation of being the moonshine capital of the world. 

[HankB]

In grammar school back in Chicago, we some guys I used to know made applejack and potato vodka. Folks thought it was "cute" that we they were "trying" to make moonshine. I understand one guy's older brother was selling it out of his locker at a local Catholic high school . . .

During WWII, my Dad told me his outfit had a couple of Southern boys well versed in the ways of moonshine . . . they had stills making large amounts of 'shine going all the time. Thing is, they traded most of this to the Navy . . . for both cash and fresh food.

They had a C-47 that didn't exist, and flew that down to Australia to buy good booze, which was available to both officers and enlisted . . . they'd created "The Nippers Club" and even printed up membership cards. (I still have my Dad's.)

[S. Williamson]

Those not wanting to run the risk of home-made can try moonshine-like distilled beverages with names like Everclear, Virginia Lightning, Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey, Platte Valley Corn Whiskey Catdaddy and Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon.  These are produced commercially and sold in liquor stores, typically packaged in a clay jug or glass Mason jar.

stay safe.

skidmark

Heck, I've got a bottle of Everclear (legal, of course) within arm's reach.  Generally use it as aftershave or a substitute for isopropyl alcohol, though.  Far safer, especially if a little happens to make its way into the mouth.