National Moonshine Day
When is National Moonshine Day? This holiday is celebrated on the first Thursday in June.
Are you a bootlegger? Or, perhaps you just enjoy a nip or two of white lightning from time to time. If so, you’re gonna just love this drinking holiday. Today is National Moonshine Day. On this June holiday, we grab a jug of hooch and enjoy a few swigs. If it’s an illegal batch of white lightning, we won’t tell the Feds. And, if you’ve got a still up on the hill, we will just look the other way. Or, perhaps we will join you there.
Craft distilleries aside, moonshiners make their firewater in a still hidden up in the hills. Because it is illegal, they work under the cover of darkness with only the light of the moon to help them see what they are brewing. On this holiday, perhaps they will let you mix up a batch of corn mash to begin the process. Better yet, volunteer to do the quality control work and test the product as it comes out of the still.
Bottoms up as you chug a lug with the jug!
Songs of the Day:
- Moon River, Andy Williams (1961)
- Bad Moon Rising, Creedence Clearwater Revival. (1969)
About Moonshining
Moonshine was first made sometime in the mid to late 1700s. The name was given by British settlers in America. The term describes illegal activity performed under the cover of darkness with only moonlight for illumination. It was first made in the mountains of Appalachia in Pennsylvania. Scottish and Irish immigrants taught their new American neighbors how to make distilled alcohol.
Things came to a head in 1791 when the Federal Government enacted a tax on distilled spirits. The 1791 Whiskey Rebellion caused the production of illegal moonshine to really take off. Then, the height of moonshining activity occurred during Prohibition. The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The law was in effect from 1920 to 1933. During this time, homemade stills used to produce alcohol popped up everywhere. After Prohibition was repealed, illegal stills producing moonshine dropped off dramatically. But to this day, they never quite disappeared.
Today, some states have laws prohibiting unlicensed stills. In many states, moonshine is now produced legally by craft distillers. They have introduced a wide variety of moonshine flavors.
Moonshine Trivia
Here is some moonshine trivia that will help you become one of the smartest people at your bootleg party:
- Moonshine has been around for a long time. The first mention of it in print was in 1785 in Francis Grose’s “Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.”
- The term “Moonshine” was coined by British settlers to America. It describes an illicit task that is done under the cover of darkness.
- Moonshine is most often made from corn mash. However, barley, wheat, and even potatoes are sometimes used.
- It is called by many other names, including hooch, bootleg, bootleg liquor, white lightning, firewater, mountain dew, and rotgut.
- This liquor was sometimes called “Mountain Dew” long before the soda of the same name first hit the market.
- X’s on moonshine jugs represent the number of times a batch was run through the still. A jug marked XXX is pure alcohol.
- During Prohibition, a fake funeral was sometimes used to move illegal moonshine. Law and Drug enforcement officials were hesitant to interrupt a funeral.
- Among other things, Chicago gangster Al Capone was a bootlegger.
How to Celebrate and Participate in National Moonshine Day
Here are some ideas on how to celebrate National Moonshine Day:
- If you’ve never tried moonshine before, what are you waiting for!?
- Visit a craft distillery and try their moonshine.
- If it is legal in your state, use a still and make your own.
- Have a Bootleg party. Invite your friends. Have each one of them bring a bottle or a jug of hooch. Then, sample all of the flavors.
- Learn more about Prohibition during the 1920s.
- Learn about the process of making it.
Today's Quote
“You can tell it’s good if you light it and a blue flame comes up; that means it’s good moonshine and it won’t make you go blind.” – – Johnny Knoxville
History and Origin of National Moonshine Day
Strangely, we have not yet identified the creator of this day, or why he created it. Most likely, he is up in the hills of Appalachia tending to his still, and too busy to document his creation. Or, perhaps he’s had a little too much moonshine and doesn’t even remember creating this day!
There is no evidence to suggest that this is truly a “National” day, which requires an act of congress. We found no congressional records or presidential proclamation about this special day.
Definition of “National” Days – and why it is important to distinguish true National days.
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