"Moonshine"

The making of alcohol illegally-that is w/o a permit-is known as "moonshine". It was made big-time in the days of Prohibition and still is in existence in North Carolina. It is illegal today if it is made w/o paying tax on it. In NC the production and sale of the alcohol is regulated by the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agents (that's ALE; maybe someone in NC has a sense of humor). In 2010 ALE agents were still seizing large quanitities of non-taxed alcohol.

Moonshine dates back to the Civil War and at some point became entwined with stock car racing and NASCAR, even to the point where the NASCAR Hall of Fame has an exhibit "honoring" a moonshine still. A member of that Hall of Fame-Junior Johnson-developed his driving skills in western NC smuggling "white lightning". North Carolina is known as the "Moonshine Capital of the World". "Moonshine is a rich part of NC cultural roots-blues, bluegrass and country music, barbecue, folk art and crafts have all intertwined with moonshine".

This summer there will be a "Shinefest" held in Madison, NC being sponsored by the Southern Culture Society (Its web site is http://www.southernculturesociety.org/).

(Source: "Moonshine's Local Heritage" in The North Carolina Farm Bureau news on March/April 2011).