Backwoods Blog

Mash Bill Monday: Smooth Peach Brandy,From Orchard to Outlaw Jar

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Not all mash bills are built on grain. Sometimes, the outlaw spirit calls for fruit—and nothing hits sweeter than a peach brandy straight from the still.

Mash Bill Monday: The Neutral Spirit – A Clean Slate for Outlaws

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Not every mash bill is about bold corn sweetness or rye spice. Sometimes the goal is a spirit with no character at all. Sounds boring?

Mash Bill Monday: 60/30/10 – The Bold American Rye

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMT

When it comes to rye whiskey, nothing hits quite like the classic 60% Rye / 30% Corn / 10% Barley mash bill.

Mash Bill Monday: Cornbread & Spice – A True Outlaw’s Balance

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Every jar of shine and every bottle of whiskey starts with one thing: the mash bill.

The Bondurant Brothers: The Moonshine Outlaws of Franklin County

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In the rolling hills of Franklin County, Virginia—a place known as “the Moonshine Capital of the World”—three brothers carved their names into American…

National Moonshine Day 2025

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

National Moonshine Day is celebrated annually on the first Thursday of June, which falls on June 5, 2025.

🏁 Backroads to the Big Leagues: Moonshiners Gave Birth to NASCAR

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Before Daytona. Before Dale Earnhardt. Before billion-dollar sponsors and million-dollar cars, NASCAR was moonshine on wheels.

🥃 Blood, Barrels & Backroads: The North Carolina Bootleg Wars

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In the misty foothills and tangled hollers of North Carolina, moonshine wasn't just a livelihood—it was a way of life.

🥃 Popcorn Sutton: The Last American Moonshiner

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Before Netflix documentaries romanticized bootlegging and before legal distilleries embraced the “moonshine” label for marketing, there was Marvin “Popcorn”…

🥃 Rebellion in a Bottle: The True Story of the Whiskey Rebellion

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Before moonshine ran through the hills of Appalachia in hidden stills, and before revenuers ever crashed through a holler with axes in hand, there was the…

⚖️ The Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935

Fri, 30 May 2025 16:00:00 GMT

In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Franklin County, Virginia, had long earned its reputation as the “Moonshine Capital of the World.” But by 1935,…

Al Capone’s Moonshine Empire: The Secret Southern Supply Chain

Thu, 29 May 2025 16:00:00 GMT

When most people think of Al Capone, they picture Tommy guns, Chicago speakeasies, and blood-soaked turf wars.

Freemasons & Distilling Historical Intersection of the Crafts

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The Freemasons, a fraternal organization shrouded in centuries of mystery, ritual, and symbolism, have left an indelible mark on many aspects of culture and…

The Role of Oak Barrels in the U.S. Bourbon Industry

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT

As a distiller, I’ve spent decades coaxing flavors from grains, water, yeast, and, perhaps most crucially, oak barrels.

Taxes and Regulation on Moonshine Through U.S. History

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Moonshine, the illicitly produced high-proof spirit often associated with rural America, has a storied history intertwined with taxes and regulation.

The Death of True Shine? A Take on the Commercial Moonshine Craze

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:00:00 GMT

By an Expert Master Distiller with Boots in the Dirt and Spirits in the Barrel