by Kayla Cruz
When my father was born in 1948, he was the only boy of eight children. 
Growing up in Red Springs, N.C. (part of Robeson County), he was taught as early as age eight how to plow fields by mule and fill up tobacco barns. He referred this as “hard work” and “good times (Mcmillan), but on weekends all the boys went out and had some fun. “Friday night football, girls, and moonshine” were all you needed (Mcmillan). For centuries, moonshine has been an icon for the American South.
White liquor was very prevalent during this time. The southern names for moonshine were known as: “white lightin’” or “hooch.” During this time money was hard to come by, and many people started making and selling moonshine to provide for their families. People who made and sold moonshine made good money. The men, known as “bootleggers” or “backwoods brewmakers,” made the liquor. Their wives, also known as “Mary Janes,” “Jezebels,” and “Modas Jones” sold the liquor (Mcmillan).
Moonshining was illegal; therefore the “bootleggers” had to make it deep into the woods
so that no one would be able to find it. The process of making moonshine was not simple, and it took the most precise measurements to make it. The most common ingredients were brown sugar, water, honey, and yeast. All of this was poured into a fermenter and was left to sit for six to fourteen days. After it was fermented and bottled, to test it you could shake it, and if suds came to the top and then disappeared, it was good. If the suds stayed, you knew not to drink it. “It was sold in Mason jars or Pepsi Cola bottles, and was only a dollar per gallon. Pool tables and juke boxes were provided to stay and party” (Mcmillan).
The U.S. prohibited the making and selling of moonshine in the 1920s, although “hooch” is still
made today. Many illegal distilleries are being shut down by law enforcement each day. Moonshine led the first revolution against the U.S. government. This outbreak was known as the “Whiskey Rebellion,” which occurred right after the Revolutionary War when the government tried to tax homemade moonshine. During this time, the slogan was, “For the sake of my family, vote dry” (Rewald). They distributed stickers with the slogan on it to each customer to support the making and selling of moonshine.
I personally have never experienced drinking moonshine; however my father has had his share. Even though, my father had to work hard during the week to get the fields plowed, the weekends were the times to relax, hang out with friends, and drink a little moonshine. Most southern natives will say that it is “good stuff” (Mcmillan). It has been many centuries since this southern tradition was created, and today it is still going strong.
Growing up in Red Springs, N.C. (part of Robeson County), he was taught as early as age eight how to plow fields by mule and fill up tobacco barns. He referred this as “hard work” and “good times (Mcmillan), but on weekends all the boys went out and had some fun. “Friday night football, girls, and moonshine” were all you needed (Mcmillan). For centuries, moonshine has been an icon for the American South.
White liquor was very prevalent during this time. The southern names for moonshine were known as: “white lightin’” or “hooch.” During this time money was hard to come by, and many people started making and selling moonshine to provide for their families. People who made and sold moonshine made good money. The men, known as “bootleggers” or “backwoods brewmakers,” made the liquor. Their wives, also known as “Mary Janes,” “Jezebels,” and “Modas Jones” sold the liquor (Mcmillan).Moonshining was illegal; therefore the “bootleggers” had to make it deep into the woods
so that no one would be able to find it. The process of making moonshine was not simple, and it took the most precise measurements to make it. The most common ingredients were brown sugar, water, honey, and yeast. All of this was poured into a fermenter and was left to sit for six to fourteen days. After it was fermented and bottled, to test it you could shake it, and if suds came to the top and then disappeared, it was good. If the suds stayed, you knew not to drink it. “It was sold in Mason jars or Pepsi Cola bottles, and was only a dollar per gallon. Pool tables and juke boxes were provided to stay and party” (Mcmillan).The U.S. prohibited the making and selling of moonshine in the 1920s, although “hooch” is still
made today. Many illegal distilleries are being shut down by law enforcement each day. Moonshine led the first revolution against the U.S. government. This outbreak was known as the “Whiskey Rebellion,” which occurred right after the Revolutionary War when the government tried to tax homemade moonshine. During this time, the slogan was, “For the sake of my family, vote dry” (Rewald). They distributed stickers with the slogan on it to each customer to support the making and selling of moonshine.I personally have never experienced drinking moonshine; however my father has had his share. Even though, my father had to work hard during the week to get the fields plowed, the weekends were the times to relax, hang out with friends, and drink a little moonshine. Most southern natives will say that it is “good stuff” (Mcmillan). It has been many centuries since this southern tradition was created, and today it is still going strong.
Works Cited
Mcmillan Bobby, Jr. Personal interview. 29 June 2011.
Rewald, Jason. "Moonshine, Canned Heat, and a Cathead." TheDeltaBlues. 23 Aug 2010. Web. 3 July 2011.
Note: Kayla Cruz, who is from Aberdeen, NC, is majoring in surgical technogolgy and nursing at Sandhills Community College.
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