A Look into moonshine Hooch, white lightning, mountain dew, moonshine, etc, they are all names for the illeagally made liquor brewed in the mid-Atlantic and southern rural regions of US. The idea of making moonshine came about because the government put such high taxes on liquor it was more cost effective just for the citizens to make their own. There are many variations of the liquor, and just about anything can be thrown into the mix. The styles of making the liquor and the taste change with each region you go even though the makers use practically the same ingredients and the same base of producing the product. The making of illegal liquor has been around the US ever since the colonists first came over, but with them came the taxes. The first ruling n liquor was in 1633 when Massachusets colony passed legislation requiring a permkit to sell and produce liquor. What is a little funny about the whole timing of this is both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned and operated their own moonining stills. As the times progressed, the governments started levying higher and higher taxes on spirites to pay war debts and to do federal duties. The legislation continued to be passed when in 1862 congress passed a bill that taxed all alcohol in the nation and made the sale of untaxed liquor illegal. The government enforced this by sending federal agents down to the stills, and bars that sold the untaxed product and shut them down. The Legislation got tougher until the breaking point in 1915 with amendment 18 making the sale and production of liquor illegal in the US. The 18th amendment lead to a period of organized crime and illegal drinking in the 192 Making moonshine is a difficult process to do but the science behind it is quite simple actually, it cycles around fermentation and distillation. The shine is made by mixing the ingredients into what