Moonshine Nation

Moonshine is corn whiskey, traditionally made in improvised stills throughout the Appalachian South. While quality varied from one producer to another, the whiskey had one thing in common: It was illegal because the distiller refused to pay taxes to the US government. Many moonshiners were descendants of Scots-Irish immigrants who had fought in the original Whiskey Rebellion in the early 1790s. They brought their knowledge of distilling with them to America along with a profound sense of independence and a refusal to submit to government authority. Today many Southern states have relaxed their laws and now allow the legal production of moonshine-provided that taxes are paid. Yet many modern moonshiners retain deep links to their bootlegging heritage. Moonshine Nation is the story of moonshine's history and origins alongside profiles of modern moonshiners-and a collection of drink recipes from each.

Mark Spivak is an award-winning writer specializing in wine, spirits, food, restaurants, and culinary travel. He is the author of Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History (Lyons Press), was the wine writer for the Palm Beach Post from 1994-1999, and was honored by the Academy of Wine Communications for excellence in wine coverage "in a graceful and approachable style." Since 2001 he has been the Wine and Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, as well as the restaurant critic for Palm Beach Illustrated. His work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Robb Report, Art & Antiques, Men's Journal, the Continental and Ritz-Carlton magazines, Arizona Highways, and Newsmax. A broadcaster for many years, he is currently working with Matrix Media to host Quench!, a weekly podcast that reveals the untold stories behind everyone's favorite alcoholic beverages, available on iTunes and at webtalkradio.net