Illegal distilleries call to mind Southern guys in Mustangs being pursued by county sheriffs with hound dogs in the passenger seat as they both bump over rutted dirt roads. Dusty bottles clank noisily together as a secret still fades into the rearview mirror.
Today, illegal stills are more likely to be found in a hipster's basement as he cracks open a PBR and shows his buddy in a Nick Van Exel jersey the potato vodka he's made from this week's produce, courtesy of his local community-supported agriculture program. And with great hair comes beautifully produced videos that exhort America to "Free the 'Shine."
The crux of the video, put out by Reason.TV, is that home distillers need to come out in the open to challenge the laws that prevent them from making spirits legally. The suggestion is that craft liquor is just what the American public needs -- similar to the steady growth experienced by craft beers, in part because of the widespread home brew movement.
The little bit of bootleg whiskey I've had has ranged from stomach-cramp-inducing to a glass that I was sad to see empty. The joy comes from the potential for spirits greatness mixed with the slight danger of blindness. And if stills did become legal, I'd be glad to sample any moonshine except this one.
[Image via Flickr: joelk75]
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