Added: 10/31/2005 |
Moonshine drinks in different countriesThe English word "moonshine", denoting home-distilled whiskey, originates from the phrase the meaning of which is the light of the moon. It is easy to explain: the activity of making whiskey unlawfully was done at night so that the revenuers might not notice the smoke and the steam, produced during the process.
The traditions of moonshining exist in many countries of the world and each one has its own history. However, the reasons, making people produce moonshine drinks, have often been the same: it has been either due to high prices for the state-produced alcohol, or due to poverty inciting people to making and selling whiskey illegally (bootlegging), or simply due to the mere protest to the state policy in this sphere. Many moonshiners have been involved in the activity, being assured that their whisky is much better in taste and quality than the one, legally sold. The process requires time and patience, but if the resulting product proves to be good and healthy, then it is an arguable question whether it is worth buying whiskey if you can do it yourself. That has been apparently another idea-driving people to moonshining.
In the USA, the rural Appalachia region is known for its history of moonshining. It had started before the federal taxation of alcoholic drinks was imposed and was caused by the wish of the farmers to make use of their corn, when the grain prices were down. Then a tax on whiskey was introduced, which was certainly an unwanted measure. Revenuers - the agents of the Department of the Treasury - were sent to prevent people from making moonshine drinks. Nowadays, moonshining in the country is not so popular and widespread as it used it be some decades ago. It has become not quite profitable due to the legal producers, who buy corn and sugar in large quantities, which gives them an advantage and the costs, entailed by the taxation, are not really great for them.
Moonshine drinks, made in Czech, are produced from plums and are called "slivovice". It is especially popular in the east of the country - in Moravia.
In Finland, moonshining is illegal, but for some people making pontikka - the Finish variety of moonshine drinks - is a kind of hobby. It will be prosecuted only if the product is sold. Moonshine in this country is made of grain, sugar or potato.
Icelandic Brennivín is also produced from potatoes. It used to be so famous that even Coca-Cola was drunk mainly to help get rid of the flavor of moonshine. Today, it is a part of the national culture.
Peatreek is a Scottish variant of moonshine drinks. This term originates from the name or the aroma (reek) that the drink obtains, when the malted barley is dried over a peat fire.
Interesting names are given to Swedish moonshine - "skogsstjärnan" meaning a forest star and "garagenkorva" - the result of the wordplay on "garage" and "Koskenkorva". Thus, if "moonshine" denotes the time, when the drink was normally made, these words refer to the places, where they were secretly produced.
In Norway the popularity of moonshining is due to the extremely high taxation of alcohol. Moonshine (here it is called Hjemmebrent) is forbidden in the country if it exceeds twenty one alc. percent. In case it reaches over sixty alc. percent, they consider it hard drugs.
Quite different is the situation in New Zealand, where moonshining is legalized, and stills and instructions of how to make moonshine are openly sold.
The common moonshine recipe in Thailand is based on rice, and the drink is called lao khao.
The Russian name for moonshine is "ñàìîãîí" (samogon), which means "self-distillate". However, there is another version of the origin of this term. The drink is said to have been first made in 1615, in the south of Russia, in the district, named after the discoverer of these places Iosiph Samoga. It was made of grapes, corn, potato and beetroot. Today, moonshining is illegal, but quite wide-spread in the country. Recently, it has been suggested in the State Duma (the Russian legislative body) to make the production of samogon legal only in the Budenovsky District (the present name of the above-mentioned district) because it would be historically justified. Still, it seems to contradict the idea of the necessity to fight against the excessive consumption of alcohol.
The history of moonshining shows that despite all the differences, there is always something common to be found between the nations.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
