Bear Wallow Distillery
~ by Paige Langenderfer, photos by Greg Clarke
Bear Wallow Distillery is much more than a business to owners Susan and Mike Spagnuolo— it is a tribute to one of the more colorful aspects of Brown County’ s history.“ There is a huge moonshining history in Brown County,” Susan said.“ It was very important to us that we honor that history.”
According to the Brown County Historical Society, moonshining dates back to the county’ s founding in 1836. Settlers lived a rugged pioneer lifestyle, living in cabins and small settlements in the forest that covered the hills and valleys. While the hills, hollers, and bear wallows of Brown County made working the land nearly impossible, they also provided a sanctuary for moonshine stills and jugs.
Poverty left bartering as the only choice for many residents, and moonshine was one item that was always in demand.
“ Moonshining was a way of life here. People accepted it, and that made it difficult to charge anyone during prohibition,” Susan said.“ I have always loved the story about a man who was cleared of charges during prohibition. After his trial, he said,‘ I was acquitted by a jury of my customers.’”
On August 1, the Spagnuolos opened Bear Wallow Distillery, what they refer to as the first legal still in Brown County.
A 250-gallon copper pot is the centerpiece of the distillery, producing about 1,000 bottles of moonshine a week. This copper masterpiece was made by renowned still maker Vendome, known for making stills for Jack Daniels, Maker’ s Mark, and Jim Beam.
Today, all of the alcohol sold at Bear Wallow Distillery is moonshine, also called un-aged corn whiskey. In November, the Spagnuolos will offer bourbon, made from 150-proof distillate and aged in charred American White Oak barrels.
All of Bear Wallow’ s artisanal distilled spirits are handcrafted in small batches
38 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2014