Moonshine Likker: The secret art of distilling
Reading time: approx. 13 minutes.
February 16 / 2025
A hidden hut deep in the forest, the darkness illuminated only by a flickering light. The smell of heated mash hangs in the air, while steam curls from an old copper kettle. Here, away from prying eyes and law enforcement, moonshiners have perfected their art - the secret distillation of high-proof alcohol known as moonshine.
What may seem romantic and mystical today was once a bitter reality for many who earned their living this way. Moonshine was more than just a drink; it was a symbol of independence, resistance and the ingenuity of those who were prepared to risk everything. Immerse yourself with us in the history and techniques of moonshine and find out why this tradition is still fascinating today.

Moonshining: an overview of the most important terms
Before we explore the world of moonshine, it's worth clarifying some terms that are closely associated with this tradition. From the actual process of moonshining and smuggling to the tools and language of moonshiners, here are the key terms that will give you a better understanding of the subject.
Moonshining - Secret distilleries in the moonlight
Moonshining describes the clandestine and usually illegal distilling of alcohol. The practice reached its peak during Prohibition in the 1920s. The ban on the sale of alcohol during this time led some people to run their own distilleries. A distinction can be made between distilling without registering the distillery and “distilling without tax registration in a registered facility.

Moonshiner Camp – ca. 1936
Bootlegging - smuggling; not only in boots
Bootlegging refers to the smuggling and sale of illegally distilled alcohol. Bootlegging was particularly widespread during Prohibition in the USA (1920-1933). The term was probably originally used during the American Civil War (1861-1865). At that time, soldiers hid small bottles of alcohol in their boots or under their trouser legs in order to smuggle them secretly into the camps.
The term “bootlegger” first appeared in 1889. It later became even more popular when city dwellers transported and sold alcohol in flasks in their bootlegs - both in large cities and in the countryside.
The related concept of “rum-running”, which describes the smuggling of alcohol by sea, also emerged during Prohibition. Rum was brought from the Bahamas to Florida, for example. Due to the low profits from cheap rum, smugglers soon turned to transporting more expensive spirits such as Canadian whisky, French champagne and English gin. These goods were sold at high prices in cities such as New York, Boston and Chicago - sometimes with smuggling values of up to 200,000 dollars per load.

Johnston County „Moonshine Bust“, 1951
Likker - The liquid gold
Likker is a colloquial variant of the term “liquor” and is associated with high-proof alcohol.
Thanks to the influence of the well-known moonshiner Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton, who called his autobiography “Me and My Likker”, the word became particularly popular in moonshine culture and is now synonymous with home-distilled schnapps.
The still - probably the most important tool
A still is a distillation plant for the production of alcohol. Traditional moonshiners used simple, often homemade stills, which they hid deep in the woods to avoid detection. Access to clean water and proximity to roads for transportation were essential.


Authorities confiscate moonshiner equipment.
The distillation process - chemistry, physics and experience
The distillation process begins with a mash of water and fruit, grain or potatoes, which ferments with the addition of sugar and yeast. After fermentation, the mash is heated and the resulting alcohol evaporates. The alcohol then condenses in a cooler and produces the high-proof spirit. Traditional moonshiners have perfected this craft over decades.

Moonshining in America - the roots of an ancient tradition
The process of producing alcohol through fermentation dates back to ancient times. The Sumerians were already using evaporation techniques to produce oils around 1200 BC. The Greek scholar Aristotle described the distillation of seawater into drinking water around 400 BC. In the 7th century AD, Arab alchemists used distillation flasks to produce spirit of wine as a solvent.
Around 1260, Albertus Magnus, Bishop of Regensburg, developed the so-called still. At that time, high-proof alcohol was mainly used for medicinal purposes.
Moonshining - A legacy of European settlers
Moonshining is not purely American; the first European settlers brought their knowledge of schnapps production with them. In the New World, they adapted the techniques to local conditions and often avoided paying taxes.

The “Mayflower” is regarded as a symbol of the European colonization of America.
Alcohol, however, probably gained a foothold even earlier.
The first permanent European settlement in the USA was St. Augustine, Florida (1565). Alcohol was probably already being produced here. In Jamestown, Virginia (founded in 1607), home-distilled alcohol also played a role.
According to myth, George Thorpe, an English settler, used corn to make corn whiskey there around 1620 and is said to have laid the foundations for a long tradition. Even if the actual origin is controversial today, his descendants continue this tradition to this day as legal distillers.
Taxation and the birth of moonshining
Initially, the English crown only taxed imported spirits. From 1630, local production also became taxable, which gave rise to the first “moonshiners” - those who evaded the tax.
After the War of Independence, the young nation was heavily in debt. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton introduced a tax on alcohol in 1791, which met with strong resistance, especially among small farmers in the Appalachian Mountains.
For many, distilling and selling whiskey was essential for survival.
Social aspects and resistance
In the Appalachians, alcohol consumption was considered socially frowned upon, yet consumption was widespread - often in secrecy and away from social gatherings. The secret sale of alcohol reflects the resistance to state control and still characterizes the fascination with moonshining today.
The Native Americans and distilling
While the Native Americans knew fermented alcohol, they did not use distillation. The reasons for this are unclear. For European traders, on the other hand, high-proof alcohol was a sought-after commodity that was sold to the Native Americans despite existing prohibitions.

The Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania 1794
In 1794, the distillers in Pennsylvania continued to refuse to pay the new alcohol tax. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton then dispatched tax collectors, who were violently attacked by outraged moonshiners.
The tensions escalated into a bloody riot with considerable material damage.
President George Washington tried to resolve the conflict peacefully before finally taking action with 13,000 soldiers against the approximately 2,000 insurgent “whiskey rebels”.
Around 150 Moonshiners were arrested, but all but 33 were released. Only two were convicted and pardoned by Washington in 1795.

„The Whiskey Rebellion“, 1794
To this day, the introduction of the alcohol tax and the suppression of the rebellion in Appalachia, proudly considered a moonshining center, remains an emotional issue.

Prohibition - a ban with far-reaching consequences
From 1920 to 1933, the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution prohibited the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol. This comprehensive ban, which went far beyond simple legal regulations, aimed to promote the health of citizens and reduce domestic violence. Prohibition was driven primarily by the temperance movement, led by evangelical church members - often women - who fought resolutely against alcohol abuse.

Prohibition protest march reenactment of Two Rivers Privity.
Despite President Woodrow Wilson's veto, the ban was passed by a two-thirds majority in Congress.


Protest marches were represented on both sides.


Historical presentation at the Cowboy Club Munich - Moonshiner's Ball 2022
However, the effects were the opposite: alcohol consumption increased and mafia organizations soon dominated the black market. Prohibition enabled criminals like Al Capone to make huge profits from the illegal trade.

Al Capone's “Mugshot” photo, Florida 1930.
The rapid production of low-grade “bathtub gin”, which could be produced cheaply and without great expense, was particularly popular. Moonshiners and smugglers profited, although the risk of detection increased. The low wages and corruption among the 2,300 Prohibition agents made it even more difficult to enforce the ban.


The public destruction of alcohol in the presence of the media at the time.
In 1933, Prohibition was repealed with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution - a move supported by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt supported. For moonshiners, the end of prohibition meant a decline in the black market, but some regions of the USA still retain local alcohol bans to this day.

The end of Prohibition was celebrated in style.

The diverse range of moonshiners
Moonshine is much more than just whiskey. The term “Uisge beatha”, from the Gaelic for “water of life”, developed into “whiskey” in Ireland and “whisky” in Scotland. Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their traditional recipes to the USA, but had to adapt them to new circumstances. As peat and barley were often lacking, they experimented with local wood and other grains. Corn in particular, which had been a staple food of the indigenous people for centuries, became the main ingredient for corn whiskey. Rye was also used by the immigrants, giving rise to new types of whiskey such as rye whiskey.
Corn whiskey, often called “white whiskey”, was sold directly without barrel ageing and was particularly popular with moonshiners. Rye whiskey was also popular, but was later replaced by bourbon, which must contain at least 51% corn and is matured in new, charred white oak barrels. The name “bourbon” comes from a county in Kentucky that was characterized by its active moonshining tradition.
Tennessee whiskey and its special features
Tennessee whiskey, a special bourbon variant, must be produced in the state of Tennessee and refined using the so-called Lincoln County Process - a charcoal filtering process. Jack Daniel's is the best-known representative of this category.


Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.
Gin - simple and popular
Gin enjoyed great popularity among moonshiners, as it was easy to produce without compromising on quality. A neutral alcohol made from corn or other raw materials was mixed with juniper and other botanicals such as citrus fruits and often refined in a second distillation. Simple variants such as “bathtub gin” were widespread during Prohibition.
American rum
Rum was produced in countries with sugar cane cultivation. Sugar cane is harvested, crushed and the juice obtained is mashed and distilled. Historically, rum production was closely linked to slave labor. Rum was just as popular as whiskey and was part of the traditional range of moonshiners.

From “criminal” to licensed distiller
Over time, some moonshiners established themselves with fixed customer bases and made distilling their profession. In order to operate legally, they had to apply for licenses for their distilleries and pay tax on their products, which inevitably increased prices. However, secret distillers remained active and supplied those who preferred cheaper or illegal alcohol.
The regulation of alcohol in the USA is still subject to various authorities. The Department of the Treasury, in particular the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), is responsible for taxing and regulating production, while the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) monitor illegal transportation.
In addition, specific local laws exist in each state. In nine states, including Alaska and Maine, the production of liquor for personal use is permitted, provided there is no sale and the minimum legal age is reached. However, this contradicts federal laws that only allow home production of wine and beer. To be consistent with state regulations, the relevant federal law would have to be amended.

From moonshiner to whiskey legend - Jack Daniel
Jasper “Jack” Newton Daniel (1849-1911) left a lasting legacy with the whiskeys of Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
His family, originally from Northern Ireland, settled in Lynchburg, where Jack began working as an orphan at the age of 14 for shopkeeper and moonshiner Dan Call.
Call, who ran his distillery, introduced Jack to the art of distilling. However, Jack received the decisive influence from Call's “Master Distiller” Nearest Green, a former slave, with whom he developed the later whiskey style.
The distillery used limestone-filtered water from Lynchburg, which made the whiskey particularly smooth. Together, Jack and Nearest Green refined the Lincoln County Process, in which the whiskey is filtered through charcoal made from sugar maple before being stored in barrels.
At the age of 20, Jack went into business for himself and eventually took over Call's distillery. He established his own distillery with seven employees, including Green and his sons, and produced “Tennessee Whiskey” under license. The classic recipe for his mash consisted of 80% corn, 12% barley and 8% rye. The spirit was distilled once, diluted with spring water, filtered through charcoal and matured in white oak barrels. The distinctive square bottle, which Jack designed himself, remains a trademark to this day.

Statue of Jack Daniel in front of an underground freshwater spring at Jack Daniel's Distillery
Jack Daniel's history is closely linked to the roots of moonshining, but his dedication and innovation made him a symbol of (now not so) high-quality American whiskey.

The unknown moonshine - Sotol
Sotol was a popular moonshiner product during Prohibition, but is now largely forgotten in the USA. Often compared to tequila, Sotol offers a more earthy taste. The base is the heart of the sotol plant, which grows wild in Mexico and parts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Unlike the agave for tequila, only the regrowing heart of the palm is harvested for sotol production, which makes production more sustainable.


The use of the sotol plant goes back to the indigenous people, who used its leaves and fibers for everyday objects. With the arrival of the Spanish in the 17th century, the distillation of sotol began using copper stills. During Prohibition, sotol from Mexico even found its way into the distribution channels of the Chicago mafia around Al Capone.
The production process involves roasting the plant heart - traditionally on charcoal or more modernly in a smoker - followed by crushing, mashing with water and yeast and distillation. There are both fresh varieties (Plata) and matured varieties (Reposado and Añejo) in oak barrels.



Sotol of different “ age categories” from the Rey David distillery.
A well-known Sotol bottling is the Desert Door Distillery from Driftwood, Texas, which is also available internationally.


Texas Sotol von Desert Door

The cultural significance of moonshining
Moonshining is far more than the production of spirits; it represents a multi-faceted story of innovation, adaptation and resistance. From the first European settlers to modern distillers, moonshining tells the story of society's ability to adapt to economic challenges. From an illegal activity, it eventually became a craft that is coming back into focus in today's modern age.
Today, this tradition can be found in modern distilleries and specialized spirits, with the historical roots always present. The history of moonshining is a reminder of how cultural practices are passed down through generations and redefined over time.
Of course, it should also be mentioned that the responsible use of alcohol is essential. Responsible consumption of alcohol is central to honoring the traditions and craftsmanship behind spirits like moonshine. By enjoying consciously and respecting boundaries, we not only protect our health, but also contribute to a safe and respectful society.
Wolf H. Reblin – Beaver Creek Pioneer

About the author
Wolfgang Horst Reblinsky
a.k.a.
Mr. Wolf H. Reblin, Esq., Arizona Justice of the Peace
For many years, he has been working on the history of American colonization as well as the period between 1920 and 1980.
He has also published articles in the Magazin für Amerikanistik and in Gasoline-Magazine.
Here in the Beaver Creek Pioneer, he actively writes on exciting topics related to the "Old West".
He practices his historical representation as a justice of the peace in the Arizona Territory circa 1870 as Wolf H. Reblin along with his wife Eliza B. (Holl) Reblin.