Moonshine facts for kids

Moonshine is an alcoholic drink that was often made secretly, especially in the past. It's also known by many other fun names like white lightning, mountain dew, or hooch. People made it without official permission, often to avoid paying taxes or because making alcohol was against the law at certain times.

Moonshine usually refers to strong, clear alcohol that was made at home or in hidden places. Because it wasn't made in legal factories, its quality could vary a lot. Sometimes, it wasn't made safely, which could be dangerous.

Moonshine in Movies

Moonshine has appeared in many stories and movies, often showing a part of history where people made and sold it secretly.

"Thunder Road" Film

In 1958, a movie called "Thunder Road" was released. It starred Robert Mitchum as a "runner." A runner was someone who secretly transported moonshine, often in fast cars, to avoid being caught by the authorities.

The story in the movie, especially the part where the runner is killed, was partly inspired by a real event. It was loosely based on the death of a person named Rufus Gunther from Cocke County, Tennessee, in January 1953.

A scene from "Thunder Road," where a burning car goes over a cliff, was even reused in a 1963 TV show episode. It appeared in the "Perry Mason" episode called "The Case of the Bouncing Boomerang."

Images for kids

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  A modern DIY pot still, used to make spirits.

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  A thermal immersion circulator, like this sous vide stick, can be used to heat liquids.

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  Former West Virginia moonshiner John Bowman explains how a still works. (November 1996, American Folklife Center)

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  A typical jar of moonshine. People once thought that if it burned with a blue flame, it was safe to drink, but this was not always true.

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  The Moonshine Man of Kentucky, an illustration from Harper's Weekly, 1877, showing scenes from a Kentucky moonshiner's life.

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  Moonshining, a scene from the archipelago of Loviisa in the 19th century, by Berndt Lindholm.

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  A historical moonshine distilling-apparatus in a museum.

See also

In Spanish: Moonshine para niños