Well, drinkable moonshine, maybe...

Whiskey tax has been unpopular except to the Feds for a long time.
Jefferson: "An insurrection was announced and proclaimed and armed against and marched against but could never be found."

Whiskey Rebellion thread:

In 1794, the frontier rebelled against a constitutional federal excise tax on whiskey. The feds had a desperate need for funds and saw the tax as a way to mitigate heavy drinking on the frontier. Farmers in the West, meanwhile, pic.twitter.com/a2OuWpnLCU

— Kurt Steiner (@Kurt_Steiner) June 28, 2023

Good Moonshine should taste clean similar to vodka with a slightly sweet or fruity taste with slight burn going down. Also if set on fire should make a blue flame.

My uncle makes moonshine. You can make it for personal consumption legally, and, I think, sell a small portion. He made it forever in Louisiana, and they didn't really care what he did with it. He used it to race alcohol funny cars for a while, but he retired from that when he sold his company. I think he just started back up making small batches in Somerville.

He used to have huge glass jugs full of it. My cousin and I may have snuck a few drinks on several occasions.

ToddyHill said:

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You can make it for personal consumption legally, and, I think, sell a small portion.

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Unfortunately, that is not correct. The only country in the world where you can legally distill for personal use is New Zealand.

One can ferment to produce beer or wine...but one can not distill to produce spirits.

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Good Moonshine should taste clean similar to vodka with a slightly sweet or fruity taste with slight burn going down. Also if set on fire should make a blue flame.

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That is 100% true.

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Thanks for the correction. I'm not sure why I had it in my head that you could make a limited amount (1 gallon or less is what I remember hearing/reading).

ToddyHill said:

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You can make it for personal consumption legally, and, I think, sell a small portion.

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Unfortunately, that is not correct. The only country in the world where you can legally distill for personal use is New Zealand.

One can ferment to produce beer or wine...but one can not distill to produce spirits.

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You are kind of wrong. There is no law that requires a licensed distiller to sell their product. You can make it for only yourself.

With that in mind, it actually is perfectly legal to get a license and distill at home (depending on your 'home' situation) completely legally for personal consumption.
A license can run anywhere from $100 to maybe $1k or more. Not a whole lot considering the money you'd put into a still and everything else.

I've worked in the distilled spirits industry for the last few years and was of the opinion the TTB (which is our governing authority) has strict rules against it. I think your perspective would not hold with the TTB...or at least the TTB agent that oversees our distilleries. I've worked with USDA, FDA, and now the TTB. The TTB is ruthless (truth be known). Then again, I know many people (including co-workers) who still make their own stuff.

TTB

It is 100% illegal to distill any spirits without a TTB (fed) and state permit, whether you sell it or not. Moreover, TTB has regulations that specifically state that you cannot distill in a residence. The state will not give you a permit without you first obtaining a federal permit.

Even if you did get a permit (which is not just merely filing a form), you have to file three monthly reports (production, storage and processing) with the TTB that tracks virtually every drop, including how much grain used. You also have to pay taxes once the alcohol is withdrawn from the "processing account" whether you sell or just drink it. States also require a monthly report.

Now are the feds or state may never discover the use of a home still, but that does not make it legal.

The TTB is part of the IRS - it's all about tax revenue and not safety or anything else.

He said, I don't know about women

Don't know nothing 'bout love
One thing in the whole wide world
You can be sure of
All whiskey ain't the same
Good moonshine
Burns with a clear blue flame

SpiderDude said:

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bularry said:

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actually had a chance to try some illegal moonshine recently. A guy had some and said he bought it from a guy in the hills of Georgia.

It was pretty good, you could really get the corn impression. I found it pretty interesting and would drink again.

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Tasting notes: on the nose I get strong methanol. Palate of Nail Polish remover. Finish: I'm blind now.

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that's kinda what I expected...

but I liked it. it definitely had sweetness up front

Those guys on tv seem to be partial to banana flavored moonshine.