Why is moonshine illegal

Moonshine has been having something of a renaissance. The production of moonshine — or really any spirit — without a license is prohibited by the U.

Do you have a passion for distilling and want to sell your drinks in different types of marketplaces? Or maybe you just want to learn the essentials of home distilling? In either case, it's important to understand the legality of moonshine and its ABV. This number indicates the alcohol strength of a drink and is used in part for making popular cocktails and comparing different types of alcohol. Keep reading to learn what moonshine is, what the average ABV of moonshine is, what flavors it comes in, and more. Moonshine is a high-proof liquor produced illegally without government authorization. It is called moonshine because it is traditionally illegally distilled during the night to avoid being discovered by law enforcement.

Why is moonshine illegal

The practice can be traced back to the Prohibition era of the s and the drinks are often still mimicked and served in the southern states. Moonshine is a generic slang term that refers to potently strong and illegally made alcoholic spirits. The word was first associated with bootleggers who were attempting to make and sell alcohol during the Prohibition era. In modern times, Moonshine is still used to describe illegal homemade alcohol, some certified distillers will often sell beverages that are described as moonshine for novelty value or to describe its stronger-than-usual taste. Some moonshine producers will seek to offer reproductions of clear high-proof homemade alcohol from the Prohibition era. But moonshine can be used to describe anything that pertains to be strong, homemade, and illicit - such as strong types of whiskey or "bathtub" gin. Across the US and most parts of Europe , distilling is against the law. There are many reasons that governments choose to prevent their citizens from making their own alcohol. In fact, even buying or owning any type of still the vessel used to distill spirits is illegal in many countries. However, distillers are required to hold permits to ensure both traceability and quality control of alcoholic beverages.

Outbreaks of methanol poisoning have occurred when methanol has been accidentally produced in moonshine production or has been used to adulterate moonshine.

I recently attended a wedding where the groomsmen were passing around a bottle of what smelled like the strongest liquor known to man. One groomsman pocketed the bottle and smiled. My immediate thought was that moonshine is illegal. Yet everyone at the table confirmed they had already sipped moonshine at least once in their life. So, did the Dukes of Hazzard lie to me? Has moonshine really been completely legal this whole time?

The practice can be traced back to the Prohibition era of the s and the drinks are often still mimicked and served in the southern states. Moonshine is a generic slang term that refers to potently strong and illegally made alcoholic spirits. The word was first associated with bootleggers who were attempting to make and sell alcohol during the Prohibition era. In modern times, Moonshine is still used to describe illegal homemade alcohol, some certified distillers will often sell beverages that are described as moonshine for novelty value or to describe its stronger-than-usual taste. Some moonshine producers will seek to offer reproductions of clear high-proof homemade alcohol from the Prohibition era. But moonshine can be used to describe anything that pertains to be strong, homemade, and illicit - such as strong types of whiskey or "bathtub" gin. Across the US and most parts of Europe , distilling is against the law. There are many reasons that governments choose to prevent their citizens from making their own alcohol.

Why is moonshine illegal

Moonshine has been having something of a renaissance. The production of moonshine — or really any spirit — without a license is prohibited by the U. In fact, American bootleggers can face jail time for operating seemingly innocent home distilleries. The federal law states that breaking it can have offenders facing multiple federal felonies, including tax evasion, which can result in up to 10 years in prison on top of seizure and forfeiture of the land used for the illegal activity. The law seems unreasonable on the surface, but when you dig into its history, it becomes a little more clear. It all began right after the American Revolution, Spoelman explains, during which time the government began to place excise taxes on alcohol in order to pay off its debt from the war. This tension eventually led to the Whiskey Rebellion, in which George Washington lead a crackdown on farmers making money by distilling their grain into moonshine.

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Since the majority of people who distill their own spirits are farmers or live in rural areas, they tend to use whatever crop they have a surplus of for distilling into moonshine. The law seems unreasonable on the surface, but when you dig into its history, it becomes a little more clear. Although we at The Takeout would never, ever encourage illegal activity, if you happen to be in the market for your own still, you can find a deal for a five-gallon option on Amazon , a 9. Some moonshine producers will seek to offer reproductions of clear high-proof homemade alcohol from the Prohibition era. Also, what the hell is moonshine? It's a risky hobby, but for a bunch of weird reasons you might not expect. Moonshine can be made from any grain or fruit but is most commonly made using corn. This may be surprising due to the clear color, but the distilling process and ingredients used are clear signs that it is a whiskey. The alcohol content affects the freezing point of alcohol , how it affects you when you drink it, and more. From there, Drizly goes into further detail on the process:. Send us a Tip! It is called moonshine because it is traditionally illegally distilled during the night to avoid being discovered by law enforcement.

Known mostly for its clandestine origins as an illegally homemade alcoholic spirit , moonshine is surprisingly diverse! In this guide, you will learn everything that you need to know about moonshine from its flavours and how to drink it:.

In , Ohio introduced legislation to do the same, with other states likely to follow. However, farmers distilling moonshine from the comfort of their own homes were obviously not paying that tax. In either case, it's important to understand the legality of moonshine and its ABV. Scottish Sun. It can be made from any grain or fruit via fermentation. Shop Subscribe. Fast forward to the Civil War era, and making moonshine without paying taxes was officially deemed illegal. Because only facilities approved to distill alcohol are allowed to produce it, and getting that government approval requires jumping through all kinds of hoops, including permits and registration for every still. Also, what the hell is moonshine? This may be surprising due to the clear color, but the distilling process and ingredients used are clear signs that it is a whiskey.