Ethanol-Still-Plans.com

ALCOHOL:

MOONSHINERS BOOTLEGGERS AND LAWS

   Between September 2003 to January 2007 legalization of some form of alcohol sales was on the ballot in 214 local elections in Texas and it won in 81 percent of cases, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said.

Some local areas ban the retail sales of spirits but not beer or wine; some don't allow beer on the shelves which exceed certain alcohol percentages; some ban all booze altogether.  The problem is people just drive over the state line or to a county, which sells liquor.

As of August 31, 2003, before the legislative changes, there were 35 completely wet counties in Texas with no restrictions, 51 completely dry counties while the remaining 168 were somewhere in between or "semi-dry," according to TABC.  And many counties throughout the U.S. have laws that maybe their closest neighbors do not have.  And then there are the people who make their own wine or beer. As of January 2007, only 39 totally dry counties were left and one more had become completely wet.

   And many counties throughout the U.S. have laws that maybe their closest neighbors do not have.  And then there are the people who make their own wine or beer.

   Moonshiners and bootleggers have "code words" they use to talk to one another about the business. This secret language was used to protect them from the law. It is essential to get in on their lingo in order to understand the moonshine culture.

A bootlegger is a person that sells illegal whiskey and a moonshiner is a person who makes the whiskey illegally. Moonshine goes by many names such as:

   Interestingly, the term moonshine originated in Europe and was used in England in the 1700's. It originally referred to "occupational pursuits, which necessitated night work, or work by the light of the moon."

   The expression "bootlegging" has a long history itself. It originated in colonial America, and it believed to have been used in reference to selling alcohol to Native Americans. Some colonists tried to prevent this practice, but those that were more determined attempted to trade "spirits" for material goods. These colonists concealed bottles of liquor in the top of their boots and covered the bottles with their pants leg; hence the term "bootlegger."

   So, before you plan on making anything, make sure what the laws are.  Not knowing the law does not mean you can get away with building a still and using it to sell alcohol for consumption.