Real Moonshine
A recent discussion with the Colonel lead him to wonder if there's any genuine moonshine available in Denver. Are people actually making there own hooch and, if so, how can I get my hands on some? Any good stories about drinking bathtub gin?
I have tried a few here and there, but not in Denver. Most recently, I tried some whiskey made from a distilled keg of microbrewed Belgian triple. The guy who made it was a professional beer brewer, so I'm not even sure this counts. He had aged the whiskey in an oak barrel for a year - the stuff was damn good but he could not legally sell it because he didn't have a state license.
A few years ago I was in Puerto Vallarta and my traveling companion managed to convince a bartender to serve us raicilla, a highly illegal and homemade version of tequila. They guy actually ran a couple of blocks to his house and came back with a two liter bottle of Mexican white lightening that he had made himself. It was pure lighter fluid, but in a good way.
I have tried a few here and there, but not in Denver. Most recently, I tried some whiskey made from a distilled keg of microbrewed Belgian triple. The guy who made it was a professional beer brewer, so I'm not even sure this counts. He had aged the whiskey in an oak barrel for a year - the stuff was damn good but he could not legally sell it because he didn't have a state license.
A few years ago I was in Puerto Vallarta and my traveling companion managed to convince a bartender to serve us raicilla, a highly illegal and homemade version of tequila. They guy actually ran a couple of blocks to his house and came back with a two liter bottle of Mexican white lightening that he had made himself. It was pure lighter fluid, but in a good way.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beer Monster on -
I have been on a desperate search for bathtub gin for about the last year and a half...if you have any inside information I would be forever grateful.
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Rowley on -
The whiskey from the brewer most definitely counts as moonshine. In fact, over the last 20 years, we've seen a major shift from moonshining as a primarily rural/big still operations to urban/small still hobby. There are still plenty of rural operations (see Max Watman's forthcoming book "Chasing the White Dog"), but the demographics of distillers is changing. A lot of what we're seeing these days is a direct result of the micro/craft beer movement of the 1980's and 90's: In fact, I don't know a single craft brewer who's not distilling in secret, knows someone who is, or is in the process of opening a legal distillery.
Moonshine is still with us, it's better than what our parents and grandparents might've know, and it's not the least bit hard to find. Ask a brewer.
Also see From Brewer to Distiller, a preview of a session coming up at New Orleans' Tales of the Cocktail next week.
~ rowley
author of "Moonshine!" (Lark Books, 2007)
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Permalink Reply by Ewing Klipspringer on -
Thanks for the info and the link, Matthew. This sounds like a really interesting panel; I've been a fan of Stranahan's since they opened and also enjoy Steven Beaumont's writing.
As an aside, I also cover Coloroado-made beer, wine and spirits for Examiner.com and have had a chance to sample quite a few high-quality distilled spirits coming from small distilleries in Colorado recently.
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Permalink Reply by Enrique Emetic on -
Was once introduced to a guy in Denver who made his own Absinthe. He also had a John Gacey original painting in his house (well, mom's basement. And he was about 40. With a beard. You're probably starting to get the creepy picture).
He sent me home with a 16oz soda bottle of the stuff. I kept it around for a month or two but even in my reckless 20s couldn't bring myself to try it. Mostly out of fear of losing my vision. Or requiring lifetime dialysis. Colonel may know who I'm talking about.'
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