Moonshining began very early in American history.
Shortly after the American Revolution, a federal
tax was placed on liquor. The American people,
who had just fought a war to get out from under
oppressive British taxes, were not particularly pleased.
In rebellion, they decided to just keep on making their
own hooch, completely ignoring the federal tax.
In 1920, Congress passed the law of prohibition,
the ban of any distribution of alcohol that angered
Americans even more. Suddenly, there was no legal
alcohol available and the demand for moonshine
shot up like a rocket. At this time, moonshining
became one of the most popular illegal activities.
When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the market
for moonshine grew thin. Today, the significance of
moonshine is remembered and revived in several
brands on the market. Even though the people at
the Crown Distillery, in Ste. Genevieve County, don’t
sport long hillbilly beards and corn pipes, they are
producing some good old fashioned hooch.