What US state is the “Moonshine Capital of the World"?
Which moonshine tastes best? Moonshine made from Georgia or the ones produced in North Carolina?
The good old rivalry between Georgia and North Carolina as to which state makes the best moonshine is rekindled anew thanks to a slew of distillers who are seriously bent on proving theirs is the best there is.
81-year old Junior Johnson, once a NASCAR driver and currently an entrepreneur in whiskey and country hams, feels that moonshine dripping from Georgia doesn’t taste good at all.
He explains his position by saying he’ll believe it when he tastes and sees it. Johnson also ran moonshine as a “tripper” (a term his home state uses to refer to a moonshine runner).
Owner of a moonshine company in Georgia, Cheryl Wood, wants to invite Johnson over to her new still which resides in the Dawsonville City Hall and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
`Let’s have a shine-off in Dawsonville’ she exclaims.
Georgia’s Moonshine VS North Carolina Moonshine
Georgia’s Dawson County and North Carolina’s Wilkes County both claim the title of being the “Moonshine Capital of the World.”
It is in Wilkes County where the largest number of illegal liquor was seized back in 1935. In a raid done in the home of Johnson’s father, approximately 7,100 gallons were confiscated.
Meanwhile, Dawson County is where the most number of moonshine stills were seized and destroyed by government Revenuers.
It is not determined though which state has been producing liquor longer. What is definite is the fact that 18th century Scots-Irish immigrants went up to the hills and brought along with them their copper stills, kettles and old recipes.
After more than two hundred years, making moonshine is now legal in these mountains.
Johnson is now making his own moonshine called “Carolina moonshine” or “Midnight Moon” – a recipe straight from his family and is now being sold in 49 states (except Alaska) for almost five years and counting.
He faces stiff competition from Cheryl Wood’s distillery in Dawsonville, Georgia in what is called “Georgia corn whiskey.” The liquor is in production for merely a few months but current demands for it are strong. It didn’t come easy though as Wood had to struggle for two years through federal and state bureaucracy. Her moonshine still was even raided by state revenuers. Everything is smooth sailing for now and plans are ongoing for her liquor to be distributed nationally. Wood’s moonshine recipe was from her great-grandfather.
Now, distilling is done in established distilleries and is out in the open. In Dawsonville’s case, a moonshine distillery is right under the nose of the County’s City Hall.
According to Gordon Pirkle, owner of the Dawsonville Pool Room and is the founder of the Racing Hall of Fame of Georgia, double-distilling or double-twisting was done back in the days. The process took a lot more time. When demand for the liquor increased, the process was rushed and double-twisting stopped. But now, it’s back.
Reportedly, Carolina moonshine is made of grain spirits and tastes similar to vodka. Johnson’s own North Carolina brand is infused with fruit flavors in order to keep up with the mainstream vodka market. Johnson proudly says their liquor is made the right way thanks to a recipe no one else got or is going to get.
Meanwhile, Georgia moonshine has a distinctive corn flavor. Wood’s products are offering apple brandy right in time for the holidays. She claims they make the best corn whiskey there is.
Maybe, you need to find out and taste the hooch yourself so you can know which suits your palate. Or maybe, you need to live in either North Carolina or Georgia so you can root for your own home-grown liquor. Either way, the more clear liquid goodness is available out there, everyone’s ultimately the better for it.
News Source: http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/8756377/nascar-north-carolina-vs-georgia-moonshine-rivalry-renewed
The good old rivalry between Georgia and North Carolina as to which state makes the best moonshine is rekindled anew thanks to a slew of distillers who are seriously bent on proving theirs is the best there is.
81-year old Junior Johnson, once a NASCAR driver and currently an entrepreneur in whiskey and country hams, feels that moonshine dripping from Georgia doesn’t taste good at all.
He explains his position by saying he’ll believe it when he tastes and sees it. Johnson also ran moonshine as a “tripper” (a term his home state uses to refer to a moonshine runner).
Owner of a moonshine company in Georgia, Cheryl Wood, wants to invite Johnson over to her new still which resides in the Dawsonville City Hall and the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
`Let’s have a shine-off in Dawsonville’ she exclaims.
Georgia’s Moonshine VS North Carolina Moonshine
Georgia’s Dawson County and North Carolina’s Wilkes County both claim the title of being the “Moonshine Capital of the World.”
It is in Wilkes County where the largest number of illegal liquor was seized back in 1935. In a raid done in the home of Johnson’s father, approximately 7,100 gallons were confiscated.
Meanwhile, Dawson County is where the most number of moonshine stills were seized and destroyed by government Revenuers.
It is not determined though which state has been producing liquor longer. What is definite is the fact that 18th century Scots-Irish immigrants went up to the hills and brought along with them their copper stills, kettles and old recipes.
After more than two hundred years, making moonshine is now legal in these mountains.
Johnson is now making his own moonshine called “Carolina moonshine” or “Midnight Moon” – a recipe straight from his family and is now being sold in 49 states (except Alaska) for almost five years and counting.
He faces stiff competition from Cheryl Wood’s distillery in Dawsonville, Georgia in what is called “Georgia corn whiskey.” The liquor is in production for merely a few months but current demands for it are strong. It didn’t come easy though as Wood had to struggle for two years through federal and state bureaucracy. Her moonshine still was even raided by state revenuers. Everything is smooth sailing for now and plans are ongoing for her liquor to be distributed nationally. Wood’s moonshine recipe was from her great-grandfather.
Now, distilling is done in established distilleries and is out in the open. In Dawsonville’s case, a moonshine distillery is right under the nose of the County’s City Hall.
According to Gordon Pirkle, owner of the Dawsonville Pool Room and is the founder of the Racing Hall of Fame of Georgia, double-distilling or double-twisting was done back in the days. The process took a lot more time. When demand for the liquor increased, the process was rushed and double-twisting stopped. But now, it’s back.
Reportedly, Carolina moonshine is made of grain spirits and tastes similar to vodka. Johnson’s own North Carolina brand is infused with fruit flavors in order to keep up with the mainstream vodka market. Johnson proudly says their liquor is made the right way thanks to a recipe no one else got or is going to get.
Meanwhile, Georgia moonshine has a distinctive corn flavor. Wood’s products are offering apple brandy right in time for the holidays. She claims they make the best corn whiskey there is.
Maybe, you need to find out and taste the hooch yourself so you can know which suits your palate. Or maybe, you need to live in either North Carolina or Georgia so you can root for your own home-grown liquor. Either way, the more clear liquid goodness is available out there, everyone’s ultimately the better for it.
News Source: http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/8756377/nascar-north-carolina-vs-georgia-moonshine-rivalry-renewed