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Moonshine

I've just finished a mini-treatise on southern moonshine for my gastronomy program. We've been focused on drink/beverages and their cultural significance. In the course of my research on moonshine, I discovered a colorful litany of euphemisms for "illegally distilled grain alcohol." Here are a few...

moonshine (as noted in title) - white lightnining - mountain dew - panther's breath - rot gut - blue ruin - skull cracker - hooch - stump likker - kickapoo joy juice - happy Sally - sweet spirits of cats a-fighting

I think "blue ruin" might be my favorite. But "sweet spirits of cats a-fighting" runs a close second.

Posted on Monday, April 14, 2008 by Registered Commenterdeb in | Comments16 Comments

Reader Comments (16)

I think Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies used it for medicinal purposes and even the sweet old ladies in the Waltons used to call it "Papa's recipe."
April 14, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBeverly
Up yonder in the holler we called it "sauce" or "white lightning". In college it was "nail polish remover" or "kerosene".
April 14, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterviv
what about "purple jesus" - an equal part combo of moonshine and grape juice? our good friend, betty, who grew up in north carolina says it's a "family favorite". she now resides in california.
April 14, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterteresa
who could have gotten through college without a trashcan full of purple jesus? only our deb......
April 14, 2008 | Unregistered Commentermarian
I hear she's never talked to Elvis either. She must be a pure soul.
April 15, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterviv
I was 16. My father and I were on a week-long trail ride through the West Virginia mountains. We had an AWESOME time - SO many great memories.

One was of the night the ranch hands decided to pass The Jug around. Someone handed me a styrofoam cup and gave it a pour. We stood around laughing about something and when I looked down, the bottom of my cup was on the ground.

It was at that time I decided against a sip. The story alone was worth the experience.
April 15, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMartha
just thought i would post a comment relevant to the home page article "On April..."

i just don't know what all the hype is about the Pimento Cheese sandwiches.

Among a crowd of 150 Masters officials, we went through 50 Egg Salad sandwiches per day last week. (They were all eaten before 11am)

i think it's time to reconsider the favorite...

April 15, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterAndrew
Don't let Deb fool you...her mother had a major Elvis record collection and her father drove a truck with Elvis in the Army.
April 15, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBeverly
ski drove a truck with elvis in the army? i need to meet this guy (ski, that is)!
April 16, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterteresa
what? you don't want to meet elvis?
April 16, 2008 | Unregistered Commentermarian
Martha, that styrofoam story is awesome. Almost as awesome as Bev casually mentioning that Deb and Elvis have only one degree of separation. I marvel.
April 16, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterLuisa
Yes, I was stationed with Elvis in the military and had many cups of coffee and many doughnuts together in the snack bar. Let me make a correction to Bev's statement, it was a tank, not a truck. These daughters are wearing me out trying to correct them all the time. Yes Teresa, I"m alive and well in Augusta,Ga. Of course, if you have not been informed, Elvis has departed the area.
Thank you very much.
April 16, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterlampmanski
Say it ain't so, Schkee......
April 17, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMartha
I've got a moonshine story. My great grandfather was sheriff of Belmont County in southeastern Ohio. I had always told the story he was killed when he tried to shut down a still, but recently learned that he was accidentally shot by his nervous deputy as they approached the alleged moonshiner's cabin. My great grandmother took over as sheriff. For those of you who know me, that's probably why it's so hard for me to "be bad". I come from a long line of law upholders.
April 17, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterEllen
ellen ... wow.
April 18, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterdeb
Visit www.freerice.com. Expand your vocabulary and save the world at the same time.
April 22, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBeverly

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