National Moonshine Day 2021
Every year, on the first Thursday of June, we celebrate the drink with one of the most infamous and weathered pasts in the United States. National Moonshine Day recognizes this once illegal distilled spirit, commonly found in the Appalachian region, following the Civil War. This year, National Moonshine Day falls on June 5th and is a great reminder to honor this notorious drink. Let’s dive into the history of moonshine as well as a few ways that you can celebrate it this year.
The History of Moonshine
The name “moonshine” originated from the fact that the drink was illegally produced during the night to avoid being found by officials. In order to avoid taxes and regulations, moonshiners would hide their distilling efforts and the alcohol they produced. After the Civil War, moonshine was primarily concentrated around the Appalachian area where its essential ingredient, corn, was plentiful and the rural areas made it easy to sell and trade without being detected. While it’s still illegal to produce moonshine without the proper licensing, distilleries have brought about a resurgence of popularity for this high-alcohol liquor.
How Moonshine is Made
The recipe for moonshine is fairly simple and usually consists of only cornmeal, yeast, sugar, and water. While many whiskeys and other alcohols use grains, moonshine is almost always made with corn. Classic moonshine is made through two processes: distillation and fermentation. It doesn’t have to be aged like some alcohols and is often combined with sweet fruits to give it more flavor.
Celebrating National Moonshine Day
This National Moonshine Day, celebrate with some of Old Tennessee Distilling Company’s fan-favorite and award-winning moonshine flavors. Each of our moonshines has enough flavor to be enjoyed on its own or make an ideal base for any drink recipe. Our Strawberry Spritzer or Blackberry Rum Runner are great moonshine recipes that are perfect for summer, too.
Visit our website to explore all of the flavors we offer or stop by our location for free tastings so that we can help you discover your new favorite spirit. No matter how you decide to celebrate, be sure to tag us on social and use #NationalMoonshineDay to show us how you enjoy moonshine!