Moonshine Nation: The Art of Creating Cornbread in a Bottle

Moonshine is corn whiskey, traditionally made in improvised stills throughout the Appalachian South. While quality varied from one producer to another, the whiskey had one thing in common: It was illegal because the distiller refused to pay taxes to the US government. Many moonshiners were descendants of Scots-Irish immigrants who had fought in the original Whiskey Rebellion in the early 1790s. They brought their knowledge of distilling with them to America along with a profound sense of independence and a refusal to submit to government authority. Today many Southern states have relaxed their laws and now allow the legal production of moonshine - provided that taxes are paid. Yet many modern moonshiners retain deep links to their bootlegging heritage. <i>Moonshine Nation</i> is the story of moonshine's history and origins alongside profiles of modern moonshiners - and a collection of drink recipes from each.