Moonshine War....how bad is it? (Asheville, Graham: fit in, real estate, buy)

[ajf131]

I saw a show on the History Channel several weeks ago which discussed the long-held tradition that I'm sure many of you North Carolinians know of...moonshining. Many families appear to be willing to die to uphold the tradition of moon-shine production...it seems to be almost as much a battle between them and the cops like meth producers and cops here in the Midwest. I guess I wanted to know how often it is that you hear of somebody in North Carolina getting caught with moonshine? Why is it illegal? Lot of questions I have here. Answers would be appreciated. thanks.

[J_Lurk]

I grew up in NC, moved away and came back and have lived here a total of about 30 years, and I've never heard of someone arrested for producing or selling moonshine. However, this old article tells me it is still going on, though perhaps not in my region of NC: CNN.com - Making illegal liquor -- and profits -- in Appalachian hills - August 28, 2000

When I was a kid in the early 70s my mother worked as a real estate agent and sold some large pieces of land in Wake and Franklin Counties, and she did occasionally trip over the remains of an old still in the woods, but nothing currently active.

Moonshine was (and is) illegal because of tax issues. The government wants their tax money from alcohol.

Here is another link for you:
North Carolina Moonshine

[RuralCoastalGuy]

Moonshine does still exist. It is one of those things where everyone knows about it but no one talks about it, sort of like the "Don't ask don't tell" thing. I can't recall anyone being arrested for moonshining near where I live as the police are kept busy arresting those who run meth labs. Uncle Sam does want his share of moonshine tax money and that, as far as I understand, is why it is illegal. Every immigrant sect who came from Europe made their own form of hootch so this is not an NC or even a Southern problem. Biggest moonshiners around were Al Capone and Joe Kennedy....go figure!

[Asheville Native]

Yea, pitched battles in the streets, it's just awful.

Good grief, the crack cookers in your town are more of a threat, and a hell of a lot more dangerous than moonshiners ever were. And no we are not a bunch of backwoods inbreed ignorant liquor making half wits.

[mm34b]

I moved to NC 48 years ago. At that time legal liquor wasn't available in many areas of the state, hence the term "dry" counties. The majority of the state's 100 counties were dry. Illegal liquor was the only alternative for many especially in the rural counties far from the state's major cities. Transportation was also problematic back then due to the lack of many higher-speed, multi-lane highways to get to the "wet" areas in a reasonable amount of time.

The last time I checked, only 5 counties still do not have at least 1 ABC store, Clay, Graham, Madison, Mitchell, and Yancey.

Even NC's own legendary moonshiner, Junior Johnson is marketing a legal moonshine called "Midnight Moon" at NC's only legal distillery located in Madison. He served time in Federal prison in the mid-1950s for moonshining. In 1986, President Reagan granted Johnson, a lifelong Democrat, a presidential pardon for his 1956 moonshining conviction. Johnson called the pardon, which restored his right to vote and hold a passport, "one of the greatest things in my life."

As "Asheville Native" noted, there's much more profit incentive to be in the small-scale illegal drug manufacturing business now instead moonshine. From what I've read in the news, small-scale Methamphetamine labs seem to be booming in the state or they're just catching more folks.

That's Racin' | 05/18/2007 | Company Introduces Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by ajf131

I saw a show on the History Channel several weeks ago which discussed the long-held tradition that I'm sure many of you North Carolinians know of...moonshining. Many families appear to be willing to die to uphold the tradition of moon-shine production...it seems to be almost as much a battle between them and the cops like meth producers and cops here in the Midwest. I guess I wanted to know how often it is that you hear of somebody in North Carolina getting caught with moonshine? Why is it illegal? Lot of questions I have here. Answers would be appreciated. thanks.

What kind you want - peach or apple brandy?

[Asheville Native]

Never buy any moonshine, unless the seller will join you in a drink from your purchase. Then you know it won't kill ya, or give you lead poisoning.

And no peach or apple, corn squeezings, preferable aged in oak barrels for a couple of years, then it becomes "sippin" whiskey, that just happens to kick like a mule.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by mm_mary73

What kind you want - peach or apple brandy?

My son just called me this weekend and said one of his friends had been given some apple brandy moonshine (as a thank you for helping out on a farm) and it was such a high alcohol content - it hardly bubbled at all when shaken.

[Deez Nuttz]

It's illegal because the revenuers (tax men) don't get their tax money on it.

I think moonshining is mainly in the mountains, I could be wrong but in the 8 years I've lived here I've known of no one who's done it, have iknown a few who consumed it.

[country069]

i no of 3 or 4 people that make it around the tarboro,scotland neck,speed area