Moonshine is basically any kind of alcohol that is made in secret to avoid high taxes or bans on alcoholic drinks. The term "moonshine" originated in Britain. It was originally a verb, "moonshining" which referred to any activity that was done late at night by the light of the moon. The recipe for moonshine is simply corn meal, sugar, yeast, and water. The recipe for whiskey is much the same. All moonshine or whiskey is clear when it is first distilled. The whiskey that you buy off the shelf of your local liquor store is aged for years in charred oak barrels, which gives it its amber color and mellow taste. Moonshine has no aging requirements. It is bottled and sold straight from the still, which is why it is clear and has more of a kick. You may have seen varieties of moonshine that have been mixed with fruit such as cherries or strawberries. This moonshine will have a colored appearance due to the fruit that it is mixed with.
Operators of illegal whiskey stills conducted their business at night to avoid detection of legal authorities, because of this they became known as "Moonshiners". Bootleggers were the people that Moonshiners hired to transport the illegal alcohol to their buyers. The term bootlegger comes from colonial times when the smugglers rode on horseback with the alcohol concealed in their tall riding boots. Bootleggers traded their horses for cars in the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. These later bootleggers developed superb mechanical skills as they modified their cars with heavier springs to support the weight of the alcohol and more horsepower to help them outrun the law. NASCAR was born out of this obsession with cars and speed. The winner of the first ever NASCAR race had used his car to smuggle illegal alcohol the week before the race. Rumrunners are basically the same as bootleggers, however, they smuggle their goods by sea, using fast vessels with hidden cargo holds.
Making alcohol revolves around two processes: fermentation and distillation. Fermentation is a chemical reaction that occurs when the yeast breaks down the sugar. One result of that reaction is alcohol. Distillation is the process of evaporating the alcohol at 172 degrees and collecting the steam before condensing it back into liquid form.
Moonshine Distillation Process Step-By-Step: