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Not to be confused with moonlight. For other uses, see Moonshine (disambiguation).
The Moonshine Man of Kentucky, illustration from Harper's Weekly, 1877, showing five scenes from the life of a Kentucky moonshiner

Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly. The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey.[1][2] The distillation was done at night to not be caught distilling.


Poorly produced moonshine can be contaminated, mainly from materials used in construction of the still. Stills employing used automotive radiators as condensers are particularly dangerous; in some cases, glycol, products from antifreeze, can appear as well. Radiators used as condensers also may contain lead at the connections to the plumbing. Both glycol and lead are poisonous and potentially deadly.

Although methanol is not produced in toxic amounts by fermentation of sugars from grain starches,[3] contamination is still possible by unscrupulous distillers using cheap methanol to increase the apparent strength of the product. Moonshine can be made both more palatable and less damaging by discarding the "foreshot"—the first few ounces of alcohol that drip from the condenser. The foreshot contains most of the methanol, if any, from the mash because methanol vaporizes at a lower temperature than ethanol. The foreshot also typically contains small amounts of other undesirable compounds such as acetone and various aldehydes.

Alcohol concentrations above about 50% alcohol by volume (100 proof) are flammable and therefore dangerous to handle. This is especially true during the distilling process when vaporized alcohol may accumulate in the air to dangerous concentrations if adequate ventilation has not been provided.

Former West Virginia moonshiner John Bowman explains the workings of a still. November 1996. American Folklife Center





Varieties of moonshine are produced throughout the world.

See also[edit]



  1. ^ Ellison, Betty Boles (2003). Illegal Odyssey: 200 Years of Kentucky Moonshine. IN: Author House. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-4107-8407-0. 
  2. ^ Kellner, Esther (1971). Moonshine: its history and folklore. IN: Bobbs-Merrill. p. 5. 
  3. ^ "Distillation: Some Purity Considerations", A Step By Step Guide
  4. ^ "Moonshine". Skylark Medical Clinic. Retrieved 2008-07-23. 
  5. ^ Methanol Institute[dead link]

Further reading

  • Davis, Elaine. Minnesota 13: "Wet" Wild Prohibition Days (2007) ISBN 9780979801709
  • Peine, Emelie K., and Kai A. Schafft. “Moonshine, Mountaineers, and Modernity: Distilling Cultural History in the Southern Appalachian Mountains,” Journal of Appalachian Studies, 18 (Spring–Fall 2012), 93–112.
  • Rowley, Matthew. Moonshine! History, songs, stories, and how-tos (2007) ISBN 9781579906481
  • Watman, Max. Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine (2010) ISBN 9781439170243

External links[edit]