MoonShine a.k.a white lightening, hooch, mountain dew, white whiskey ; a 190 proof homeade, unaged, and colorless spirit made of corn meal, yeast, sugar, water, and malt. Illegally produced in the backwoods of the mountainous areas of the country in direct defiance of the alcohol imposed federal tax after the Revolutionary War. Became a way of survival for poor farmers struggling with crops and a money making machine during the Prohibition in the 1930′s. Most commonly stored in mason jars with the infamous “XXX” and was representative of the healthy mistrust of the government.
Today, there is still a rebellious core of “Moonshiners” who continue the distilling tradition. With thanks to folks like Boggs, Hedrick, Smith and most of all Popcorn Sutton , microdistilleries and Moonshine are now legal across the country. At MoonShine Tavern we honor the term MoonShine, which comes from the fact that the distilling of the illegal liquor was done “in the moonlight” and the Moonshiners who were identified more as heros than criminals.
MoonShine Tavern is the brainchild of Shine, LLC partners Jacob Millisock and Shanna Cooper. The name pays tribute to the history of MoonShine and we at MoonShine Tavern are proud to be able to serve you the newly legalized historical product while paying tribute to some of the most fiercely independent and rebellious men in history and the rocky mountain Appalachia that they called home.
Our southern and creole influenced American tavern will be comfortably casual and historically inspired with creative and “outside of the box” flavors. Our menu of local, fresh ingredients will be presented with a touch of individuality and with an emphasis of simple but completely memorable. The focus is crafted cocktails, classic comfort food, and a carefree atmosphere representative of our mantra “Life..By Your Own Rulz.”
