Moonshine is a high-proof distilled spirit traditionally made at home through illegal distillation processes. It is typically made from corn, sugar, water, yeast, and sometimes other ingredients, and can reach alcohol strengths of 40-75% ABV.
How it is made
Moonshine production involves fermenting a mixture of sugar and grain (often corn) to create a mash, which is then distilled through a still. The process typically includes fermentation, distillation, and sometimes purification steps. The simplest method produces lower quality moonshine with more impurities, while fractional distillation can create a purer product but takes longer and may result in alcohol loss.
History
The term 'moonshine' originated in the United States and referred to illegally distilled spirits, often produced at night to avoid detection. The word itself has evolved from its original meaning of hunting on foot rather than with dogs. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the term 'samogon' became commonly used for homemade distilled beverages, replacing previous terms like 'korchma'.
Types and styles
Moonshine can be made through various methods including simple distillation, which extracts all volatile substances, and fractional distillation, which separates components based on different boiling points. Some producers use double distillation to combine both methods. The type of still used also affects the final product, with periodic stills being simpler and continuous stills producing higher quality alcohol but being more complex to operate.
Legal aspects
The production and sale of moonshine is illegal in many countries. In the Soviet Union, making moonshine for sale could result in imprisonment for 6-7 years. Current Russian law permits personal production of moonshine but requires licensing for commercial production. Despite legal restrictions, moon-making apparatuses are legally sold in many countries, with specialized retail networks existing in some regions.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Самогон, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.