Make Your Own Tipple With A Moonshine Recipe

By Betty Perry


Making something from scratch is not only a great way to let your creative spirit soar but you are very likely to have an end product that is much better than what is available on the supermarket shelves. With the right equipment and ingredients it is possible to create homemade versions of almost anything, including liquor. A proven moonshine recipe and a distilling pot will help you make a drink that will surely put a smile on your face.

Moonshine goes by many names, depending on where in the world it is made and what the main ingredients are. However, no matter what you call it, the drink is essentially a very strong liquor with a high alcohol content and is distilled in small batches, usually illegally. Especially in the Appalachian region of the United States, farmers would often turn their harvests into drink because it was easier to transport over long distances and could earn them a handsome income.

The first step in the production process is to create a mash. This is often a mixture of corn, water, sugar and yeast. The mash has to ferment, with the corn mainly included for flavor while the sugar creates the alcohol.

After three or four days, the mash has fermented enough. You can now filter the liquid and bottle it as a type of beer. To turn it into something strong enough to make your eyes water, however, you need to distill it. To do this, place the mash in a large distilling pot and heat it. The vapors will rise into a special part of the pot known as the condenser, where they will cool into a clear liquid with lots of kick.

While the moonshine made in the Appalachian region normally has a base of corn, you can also try other starches instead, including wheat, barley or rice. Potatoes are commonly used in countries such as Finland, Iceland and Ireland. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, people sometimes use cassava or plantains to make what they call lotoko.

Often distillers will use fruits instead of grains or starches. Sugar cane is a common ingredient in the countries of the Caribbean and Central America. In Eastern Europe, a drink made from plums is popular but you can also find versions using apricots, cherries, peaches or even walnuts, each with its own distinct flavor.

Where wine is made, grapes are abundant. For this reason, wine-producing regions are often home to home-distilled liquors with a grape base. These can be of very high quality, such as the 'witblits', which means 'white lightning', made in South Africa and sometimes sold in liquor stores in that country.

Before you rush out and buy a distilling pot, you first need to check the legality of producing alcoholic drinks in your area. In most countries it is highly illegal to make your own liquor and you can face hefty fines or even a prison sentence. However, it may be possible to get a distilling license in your country and make a drink that you can use for home consumption or for earning an extra income.




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