Global Moonshine

Moonshine is home-distilled alcohol especially in places where this production is illegal and is made worldwide. Sometimes it is legal or at least tolerated.

Whether it is safe depends on how it was made.

My own family has a heritage in it and I found that everyone has some opinion on it!

Moonshine is made by yeast fermenting a sugar source to produce ethanol and then separating the alcohol from the fermenting mixture (the mash) through distillation using a still. Moonshine is usually not aged in barrels like whisky or bourbon. It may contain impurities, off flavors, and toxins such as methanol.

Toxins may be from the still itself like when car radiators are used for a condenser. Contaminates like soldering lead and antifreeze glycol products from the radiator can appear as well.

Methanol poisoning occurs in large batch distillations.

Any shine over 100 proof (i.e. 50%) is easily ignitable and can be dangerous.

One test for moonshine purity was to pour some on a metal spoon and set it alight. Safe distillate burns with a blue flame, but tainted distillate burns with a yellow flame. And a red flame would indicate lead:” Lead burns red and makes you dead." This is unreliable and misses other poisons.

Moonshine comes in many names and is one of the products many travelers experiment with. Travelers should imbibe products from guaranteed sources and avoid unnecessary risks.

The Bulgarian national drink is Rakia" Home-made Rakia is considered to be better quality and "safer" than factory-made Rakia.

The Wayuu tribe of Colombia produces Chirrinche, which is both for local consumption and trade with tourists. Chirrinche is regarded to be a very strong spirit and produces a severe hangover.

Costa Rican "guaro” moonshine is from sugarcane. But guaro is also an over-the-counter alcoholic beverage that is much less potent than the moonshine.

Finnish moonshine pontikka is homemade vodka usually made from any fermentable carbohydrates, most commonly grain, sugar or potato.

Georgia n t grape moonshine is called chacha while German moonshine is called Schwarzgebrannter.

Guatemalan moonshine is cusha, made by fermenting fruits, particularly for Mayan festivities. Cusha is used by shamans, who consume it and spit on their patients with it.

Hungarian homebrew is házipálinka (pálinka is a Hungarian spirit, házi means 'from home')

Icelandic Landi is often drunk by teenagers who can't buy liquor at the stores.

In India moonshine has many names (desi, tharra dheno, kaju and santra and is made by fermenting the mash of sugar cane pulp in large spherical containers made from waterproof ceramic (terra cota) up to near 100% alcohol and is a dangerous from alcohol or copper formaldehyde poisoning.

Toddy is an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of palm trees, and arrack refers to strong spirits made traditionally from fermented fruit juices, and the sap of the palm tree. In Goa, Feni a cashew flavoured drink is popular.

Grain or potato based moonshine made illegally in Ireland is called poitín

'Lao Lao' is home brew from Laos, with many villages operating a communal still. Usually brewed from rice but quality varies.

In Malawi "katchasu" is brewed using potatoes, sugar cane or maize and distilled by women in townships and villages. Although illegal, there is no social concern with moderate consumption.

Malaysian 'Langkau' is made from fermented rice wine.

In Macedonia moonshine is legal and the liquor of choice. It is diluted with burned sugar, then boiled and consumed while still hot for medicinal purposes.

The Copper Canyon Indians of Mexico ferment lechuguilla into a clear moonshine called lechuguilla.

Myanmar has several forms of moonshine. Although illegal, they are more popular than other alcohols in rural areas.

Norwegian "Hjemmebrent" or "Heimebrent" ("home-burnt") moonshine production from potatoes and sugar is one of the purest and strongest kinds of moonshine (96%). When talking to foreigners, some Norwegians use the term "Something local" about Hjemmebrent. Often mixed with coffee and sugar as “Karsk”.

Peru is one of the few countries where moonshine is completely legal. The production and sale is entirely unregulated and their consumption is common. Pisco is one common alcoholic drinks as well as different types of chicha with their generally low alcohol content .The low alcohol content rarely causes drunkenness or dependence even in small children. Chicha was also consumed by the ancient Peruvians for thousands of years and may be one of the first drinks on the planet.

Romanian plum brandy is tuica (tzuika) or palinca (palinka), depending on the alcohol content and the region in which it is produced. Although it is illegal, the government tolerates it.

Russian samogon is made from sugar but also beets, corn, and even plywood . It is legal only for personal use, selling is prohibited. Samogon may have a strong repulsive odor but, for lack of any other spirit, it is still very popular.

Illicitly produced whisky from Scotland is called peatreek and refers to the aroma (or reek) after drying malted barley over a peat fire.

Slovakian moonshine is slivovica, (plum brandy) is a desired gift, since it cannot be bought. Slivovica is sometimes used also as a popular medicine to cure the early stages of cold and other minor aches. Although illegal, the small home productions seem to be tolerated by the government.

Slovak juniper moonshine borovicka resembles gin in flavor but can reach 50-70% alcohol.

South Africa moonshine is made from fruit (mostly peaches or marulas) is known as mampoer. When made from grapes it is witblits (white lightning). Though illegal it is available in liquor stores and farmer's markets. Skokiaan is a low-grade (often dangerous), fermented brew of variable ingredients widely consumed amongst poorer South Africans.

In Thailand , glutinous rice is distilled into a home-brew called lao khao (white liquor). It is sometimes mixed with various herbs to produce a medicinal drink called yadong.

Still-illegal American moonshine is mainly made in Appalachia using corn and sugar. Similar distilled beverages are produced legally and sold in liquor stores, packaged as shine in a clay jug or glass Mason jar. Moonshine is often depicted as a clay jug marked “XXX”. Every “X” on the jug indicates a passage through a still

Another, far less palatable form of moonshining is the prison wine , Pruno. Essentially an orange-based drink, pruno contains any ingredient from a prison cafeteria.

Moonshiners have used their product as fuel in their cars, while evading the law and this eventually led to the sport of Stock car racing!