I've Got Some Reading To Do

Some thoughtful Christmas gift giving by my family added a few interesting books to my library.

The Bourbon Bible, by Eric Zandona, is an interesting read about all things bourbon. The book is divided into three sections, starting with the history and basics of the spirit. The next section goes into detail on 140 bourbons. The last section covers cocktails made with bourbon. I've read the first section and have been randomly reading the descriptions of the individual bourbons. I think this will be a well-used reference.

The Ultimate Cigar Book is an exceptionally fascinating book. The author, Richard Carleton Hacker, has a witty and engaging style. His detailed telling of the history or cigars, and the companies and people involved is entertaining as well as informative. He shares his knowledge in a way to help the new or experienced smoker get the most from enjoying cigars and the cigar lifestyle. I have just about completed one reading of the book, and will no doubt read it again.

Interestingly, The Connoisseur's Guide the Worldwide Spirits is by the same author. I have not yet started this book. Gauging by my enjoyment of the cigar book, the spirits book will be a fascinating read as well.

The Beer Option is a book by Dr. Jared Staudt, a Benedictine oblate. Subtitled "Brewing a Catholic Culture Yesterday & Today", the book examines the history and culture of beer and it's relation with Catholicism and the spiritual life. I've not yet started reading this one, but look forward to it. It's a subject I've touched on frequently, and even had a short article related to the subject published in print.

There will be more to come on these books as I consume them.

Spittle Spirits? No Thank You

Waste not, want not? A distiller in Australia may have taken that idiom to the extreme.

An Australian distiller has taken the concept of recycling to a whole new level by taking the spat-out wine at a wine tasting conference and turning it into a spirit aptly named Kissing a Stranger. 

Peter Bignell, of Tasmanian Belgrove Distillery, was first struck by the idea at the Rootstock festival in Sydney, a gathering of winemakers from all over the world promoting sustainable practices in the winemaking industry. He was in a group tasting wines, and as per tradition in wine-tasting, the majority of it was spat out in a bucket. This practice enables tasters to experience a lot of different wines while avoiding drunkenness. Bignell, however, saw it as wasteful.

Bignell took 500 liters of spit out wine, replete with bits of biscuits and cheese, and obviously saliva, then distilled it into a spirit which he claims tastes similar to brandy.

I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to trying new foods and drink, but this just seems like a gimmick with no redeeming gastronomic value. It reminds me of the brewers who aim for shock value in order to sell a product. I'll pass.

See "Distiller Makes Booze Out of Wine Spat Out by Strangers at a Tasting Event" for more.

Hat tip to Wirecutter.

American Spirit: A Story of Virginia's Liquor Laws

Here's an interesting video highlighting Virginia's ridiculous liquor laws.

Bottom line, it comes down to government theft, i.e., taxes.

Bowman Open House

Unfortunately I had to be out of town and was unable to attend the Bowman Distillery Visitor Center Grand Opening last week. However, beer and whiskey writer Lew Bryson made it to town for the event and recounted his experience at the Whisky Advocate blog.

Yesterday I drove down to Fredericksburg, Virginia for the opening of the new Visitor Center at the A. Smith Bowman distillery, the place most of you know as the maker of Virginia Gentleman bourbon. It is an operation that is, to the best of my knowledge, unique. Bowman gets double-distilled bourbon-mash spirit (from Buffalo Trace, as both are now owned by Sazerac), runs it through their pot still doubler — named “Mary,” after the mother of the Bowman brothers who were officers in the Revolutionary War and settled in Virginia — and then ages the whiskey on-site in new, charred oak barrels (mostly; see below).

Lew reports that Bowman is repositioning itself as a micro-distiller, producing small batches of interesting and limited whiskeys. He also gives our local Brew & Gray Brewing Company a shout out, "the Spotsylvania County tourism folks were very excited about a “Grape to Grain” weekend they’ll be doing in mid-June, featuring Bowman, Blue and Gray Brewing (an established craft brewery in the same business park; excellent beers!), and four Virginia wineries, all of them along the old Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac railroad line."

See "A. Smith Bowman opens Visitor Center, turns a page" to read Lew's complete report.

Sunday Liquor Sales

In Virginia, liquor cannot be sold on Sundays. Well, except where it can be sold. In an inexplicable twist of logic, Sunday liquor sales are allowed in urban areas, but forbidden in the rural parts of the state. Fredericksburg is one of those rural areas where the residents apparently cannot be trusted with such Sunday responsibilities. But, Virginia lawmakers have voted to correct that prejudice.

State-owned liquor stores in Virginia have the OK from the General Assembly to start selling booze on Sundays.

The Senate voted Thursday to allow the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control board to keep any liquor store it chooses open on Sundays. Currently, only urban areas and localities with a population greater than 100,000 people are eligible to sell alcohol throughout the entire week.

The bill previously passed the House but was hung up in the Senate when an effort to give that authority to localities gained momentum and passed the chamber earlier this week. But the Senate voted again Thursday and passed the House version of the bill 25-15.

Governor McDonnell has said that he will sign the legislation.

See "Va. Senate approves Sunday liquor sales for state-owned stores".

George Washington's Distillery And Other Tidbits

Here's a bit of trivia in honor of the Washington's Birthday holiday.

First, officially it's NOT Presidents Day. That's a name apparently adopted by the retail industry to promote sales. The official federal holiday is Washington's Birthday. In Virginia, the day is known as George Washington Day.

George Washington established a distillery at his Mount Vernon estate. He was once the nation's largest distiller in 1799, making over 11,000 gallons of whiskey. The distillery has been restored and is open for tours. Our first president was also a brewer of beer.

Colloquially, this day is called Presidents Day in order to also honor other U.S. Presidents. Some states, and most retailers include Abraham Lincoln in today's celebration. Abe Lincoln it seems had a connection to the distilled spirits as well. At one point in his life Lincoln operated several taverns in Kentucky.

Even Thomas Jefferson got into the act. At the President's historic home Monticello, visitors can buy a beer inspired by a recipe created by Jefferson.

Unfortunately the other denizen of that great presidential monument, Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt, worked hard, though unsuccessfully, to restrict the sales of alcohol during his term as Police Commissioner of New York City.

In addition to guns, our great country has had a long and successful connection with alcohol production. It seems we've done okay, until the prohibitionists started interfering in both industries.

A gun! Or not.

Politically incorrect packaging. Of course I like it!

The Rohnert Park Coscto has these gun-shaped bottles of Old Carbine Tequila for sale. It gave me a chuckle that the store featured in the article is in California, a state that is not exactly known as being friendly towards guns, even toy ones. Although in other places, the bottles might not have even ranked a mention.

The big box stores in Virginia don't sell liquor so I won't see these at our local Costco. That's probably a good thing. The $49.99 price tag is better spent on ammo.

The Area's Best Selling Liquor

The Virginia ABC folks have released a report on the top selling liquors in the Fredericksburg area. The data is based on gross sales figures, not quantities, in 2011. The best selling alcoholic beverage in the area was Jack Daniel’s #7 Black. I am not totally surprised, to say the least. The next best seller, Smirnoff 80, lagged significantly behind. It's good to know that our hard-earned disposable income is going to an upstanding company that gives back to the community.

See the complete list of the top 50 sellers here.

Jack Daniel's Supports the Troops

Last month we read that Jack Daniel's was being attacked by entitlement-loving socialists. Now comes the news the distiller is doing something sure to raise the ire of the left even more — supporting our troops.

Tennessee whiskey maker Jack Daniel's is donating more than $100,000 to pay for plane tickets and travel funds for soldiers at Fort Campbell, Ky., to spend the December holiday season with their families all over the country. 

The distiller is also asking the public to make additional contributions that could help hundreds of cash-strapped soldiers who otherwise would be stuck at the post on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. Donations can be made to the Operation Ride Home campaign online at www.jdoperationridehome.com.

 See Jack Daniel's Funds Travel Expenses for Soldiers for more.

H/T to Jay over at MArooned.

"Entitlement" Attack Hits Distiller

Iconic distiller Jack Daniel's is being attacked by the same dangerous thinking that we've recently seen espoused by those "occupying" parks and streets in cities all over America. A Lynchburg, TN resident is making the outrageous claim that the local government is "entitled" to take more of the money earned by the only industry in town.

“We are entitled to more money from the only industry in the county – Jack Daniel’s distillery,” said Charles Rogers, a 75-year-old retiree and self-described “concerned citizen” of Moore County – home to Lynchburg and Jack Daniel’s.

Rogers wants the proposed tax to pay the bills for new schools, roads, bridges, even a new water treatment plant.

Rogers says Moore County is “entitled” to more money because Jack Daniel’s used bucolic images of small-town life in Lynchburg to sell its product. And as Norman Rockwell made a living off of his iconic images of Americana, so too should Lynchburg, according to Rogers.

If Mr. Rogers thinks that people buy Jack Daniel's simply for the "bucolic images" he probably believes that Häagen-Dazs is made in a scenic town in Denmark.

Were it not for Jack Daniel's there probably wouldn't be a Lynchburg, Tennessee. The company is the largest employer in the county and supports a tourism industry that probably keeps every other business in the town alive. If anything, Moore County owes thanks to Jack Daniel's for the county's prosperity.

Rogers claims the distiller could simply raise the price of their product and pass along the new tax. In other words, he feels that not only is the county "entitled" to the distiller's profit, but is entitled to collect from everyone who buys the product, where ever they live.

This sort of thinking is like a creeping infestation that is slowly destroying our country. People who subscribe to this entitlement mentality no longer wish to strive for success, instead they scheme to take from others what they can't, or won't, earn for themselves.

See "Jack Daniel's Faces More Taxes From Cash-Strapped Hometown in Tennessee" for more on this infuriating story.

Bowman Distillery Tours

It was reported this summer that renovations were underway that would facilitate public tours at Fredericksburg's A. Smith Bowman Distillery. Bill Freehling over at Fredericksburg Business Browser is reporting that those tours will begin on November 1.  The 'no appointment needed' tours will begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Samples will be available to those of legal drinking age after the tour.

Virginia Does Whiskey Too

Readers of these Musings already know about the many great beers being produced in Virginia. Recently we learned that the wine industry in the Commonwealth is experiencing fantastic growth as well. Now comes the news that a Virginia distillery is making its mark as well.

Less than two years after Becky and Scott Harris produced their first spirits in a modest space in a Purcellville industrial park, interest in their liquors has become such that this year they will double their 2010 production to 20,000 bottles. Even better, they expect to turn a profit for the first time, despite having absorbed heavy capital costs, such as the purchase of a $200,000 German-made still.

Catoctin Creek is the first distillery to operate in Virginia since Prohibition. They produce organic rye whisky and gin, brandy from Virginia wines, and seasonal specialty liqueurs, which are distributed in Virginia and six other states.

See "Loudoun distiller plans to double its production" for more information on Catoctin Creek's success and expansion plans.

eBay Auction Leads to Illegal Still in Virginia

Hint for you moonshiners out there: Don't advertise your still on eBay. This is from a VA Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (AKA, the revenuers) press release dated March 10:

EBay Leads Special Agents to Still Bust

COLLINSVILLE – Special agents of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) seized three stills yesterday as part of an undercover investigation into the illegal possession of distilling apparatus.

Daniel Scott Hokanson, 46, of Collinsville, is expected to be indicted on illegal possession of distilling apparatus, also know as a still, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

As part of the investigation, ABC agents monitoring eBay, an online auction site, located an auction for a still, which is typically used to manufacture moonshine and is illegal to possess in Virginia. Undercover agents conducted a controlled buy of the still. Once the still was purchased, agents searched the suspect’s residence where two additional stills were found. One still was operational but inactive and the other still was partially constructed.

“ABC agents routinely monitor the Internet as part of investigations into illegal activities involving alcohol,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Goodman. (emphasis added)

You've been warned.

Whiskey Tasting by the Dram

Taking the time to learn more the world of whisky is something that's been on my radar recently. However, tasting a wide range of whisky is not as easy as picking up a mixed six-pack of new craft beers to try. So it was fortuitous that I received an offer to review a Drinks by the Dram sampler from Master of Malt.

The folks at Master of Malt have taken numerous whiskies from their extensive offerings, packaged them into 30ml wax-sealed containers, and made the individual samplers available at a fraction of the cost of a full bottle. Drinks by the Dram makes it easy to taste a wide range of whiskies at a reasonable price. No more relying on tasting notes alone before making what can often be a substantial investment. Even some of the more rare or exclusive offerings from Master of Malt are available by the dram.

The sampler I received contained three different whiskies. I opted to split each dram with two other people, and share the experience. Even though the sample was small it was enough for all of us to get a feeling for what each whisky offered.

The first tasting was of Johnny Drum Green Label 4 Year Old. This had a sweet aroma and was smooth to drink. This struck me as a nice, classic Kentucky bourbon.

Next we opened the Master of Malt 12 Year Old Lowland. This had a woody, honey-sweet scent. It was the smoothest going down and had a sweet finish. The Old Lowland was the unanimous favorite of the three samples we tried.

And finally, Laphroaig 10 Year Old. Laphroaig was completely different from the others. The smell was burnt peat combined with an overwhelming medicinal odor. The initial flavor was strong peat, which immediately brought back memories of the peat brick fires we have in the backyard fire pit. That pleasantry is quickly replaced by the lingering medicinal flavor. Reading the comments on the Master of Malt website I gather that this iodine flavor is an acquired taste, but something that is enjoyed by fans of this whisky.

While we aren't experienced whisky reviewers, we very much enjoyed this self-guided introduction. The Masters of Malt website is also a great reference and has descriptions, along with user-submitted tasting notes, for a large assortment of whiskies. We enjoyed perusing the site as much as tasting the drinks.

Master of Malt is located in the U.K. however they do ship to the United States. I intend to spend more time on the site and hope to order a few more drams to try in the future. You can visit the Master of Mail web site here for more information.

Whiskey Toothpaste?

This is a funny ad, but apparently for a real product advertised in a 1961 issue of House and Garden. I don't think this would be the breath freshener of choice if you were trying to cover up a night on the town.

Hat tip to Sociological Images.

100 Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

I came across this recently at Art of Drink. Entitled Imbibers One Hundred, the author has compiled a list of 100 drinks that he believes everyone should try, at least once. He writes:

Remember, this is just a list of things you should try, not the "best of the world" list. The list is about contrast and variation of flavour. I’m sure a few scotch addict’s, vodkaphiles and beeroholics will recommend a particular brand, but in most cases, this list is style specific, instead of brand specific. But please feel free to make recommendations.

Anyone is welcome to play along. I've only hit 43, that I can remember. (Hey, I'm a beer guy.) But it gives me something to aim for anyway.

Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment at Art of Drink and link to your results.
OR
If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail


2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)


3. French / Swiss Absinthe


4. Rootbeer


5. Gin Martini


6. Sauternes


7. Whole Milk


8. Tequila (100% Agave)


9. XO Cognac


10. Espresso


11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)


12. Gin & Tonic


13. Mead


14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale


15. Chateau d’Yquem


16. Budweiser


17. Maraschino Liqueur


18. Mojito


19. Orgeat


20. Grand Marnier


21. Mai Tai (original)


22. Ice Wine (Canadian)


23. Red Bull


24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice


25. Bubble Tea


26. Tokaji


27. Chicory


28. Islay Scotch


29. Pusser’s Navy Rum


30. Fernet Branca


31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider


32. Bourbon


33. Australian Shiraz


34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup


35. Orange Bitters


36. Margarita (classic recipe)


37. Molasses & Milk


38. Chimay Blue


39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)


40. Green Tea


41. Daiginjo Sake


42. Chai Tea


43. Vodka (chilled, straight)


44. Coca-Cola


45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)


46. Barley Wine


47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)


48. Pisco Sour


49. Lemonade


50. Speyside Single Malt


51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee


52. Champagne (Vintage)


53. Rosé (French)


54. Bellini


55. Caipirinha


56. White Zinfandel (Blush)


57. Coconut Water


58. Cerveza


59. Cafe au Lait


60. Ice Tea


61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry


62. Vintage Port


63. Hot Chocolate


64. German Riesling


65. Pina Colada


66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum


67. Chartreuse


68. Greek Wine


69. Negroni


70. Jägermeister


71. Chicha


72. Guiness


73. Rhum Agricole


74. Palm Wine


75. Soju


76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)


77. Belgian Lambic


78. Mongolian Airag


79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran


80. Sugarcane Juice


81. Ramos Gin Fizz


82. Singapore Sling


83. Mint Julep


84. Old Fashioned


85. Perique


86. Jenever (Holland Gin)


87. Chocolate Milkshake


88. Traditional Italian Barolo


89. Pulque


90. Natural Sparkling Water


91. Cuban Rum


92. Asti Spumante


93. Irish Whiskey


94. Château Margaux


95. Two Buck Chuck


96. Screech


97. Akvavit


98. Rye Whisky


99. German Weissbier


100. Daiquiri (classic)

Malting and Smoking at Copper Fox Distillery

Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, VA is the producer of Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky. Rick Wasmund's operation was profiled in the Free Lance-Star recently. The former financial planner has been distilling in Sperryville since 2005. In the newspaper article, and accompanying video, Wasmund explains his traditional, by-hand methods. What I found most interesting was his comments on the malting process.

"We're the only distillery in North America that malts its own barley," says Wasmund. "And we do it the traditional way."

Wasmund uses a strain of barley called 'Thoroughbred' that was developed by Virginia Tech. He buys his grain exclusively from a Northern Neck farmer named Billy Dawson, who has an operation at Heathsville.

Not only does Wasmund malt his own barley, using apple and cherry wood smoke, he also buys his grain locally. I talked to a brewer last Spring who was interested in brewing with locally grown barley, which I thought was an interesting idea. I'm not aware of any local craft beer brewers who take on the malting process themselves. That would certainly add a local flavor aspect to the brewing process.

Read the Free Lance-Star profile of Rick Wasmund and Copper Fox Distillery here.

The Wettest County in the World

And now for something a little different...

The publisher sent me a copy of this book for possible review, and after enjoying it, I decided it was worthy of a post here. This might not cross the radar of good beer fans, but it is related to a common theme on the Musings.

The Wettest County in the World is a historical novel set in Franklin County, Virginia during the late years of Prohibition. The author, Matt Bondurant, is the grandson of Jack Bondurant. Jack, along with his brothers Howard and Forrest were moonshiners in southwestern Virginia. Matt tells a compelling story of the Bondurants and their battles with law enforcement, and competing bootleggers.

Knifings, shootings, beatings, crooked politicians and law enforcement, the book is rife with turmoil. But it is also story of love and of trying to break out of the struggles of the time. What really struck me was the extreme to which the violence brought on by Prohibition was embedded in the lives of the characters in the book. It affected not just the bootleggers themselves, but the life of the town in which they lived. The business was an accepted, but unspoken part of the fabric of life. Reading this novel gives one a sense of just how much Prohibition adversely affected our Country.

The book tells the story not only of the Bondurant brothers, but that of Sherwood Anderson. Anderson was a contemporary of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, and later shunned by his peers. He travelled to Franklin, Virginia to write a magazine piece on the violence and corruption associated with the moonshine business. He would soon become part of the story himself. It was Anderson who deemed Franklin County "the wettest county in the world."

Matt Bonderant recalls visiting his grandfather, who went on to become a law-abiding citizen and spoke little about his past. He relates that much of the Bonderant family history was unknown, or at least unspoken by the Bondurants. The author researched newspaper articles and court transcripts to fill in the blanks left in family stories. Even given literary allowances, the author gives a riveting account of the people and the time and place in which they lived. If you are looking for a lively and enlightening read, get this book, pour yourself a nice bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout, and settle in for a good Winter read.

Absinthe in Virginia

After being banned in the U.S. for 95 years, absinthe is now available *legally* in Virginia. Absinthe is made from alcohol and distilled herbs, including wormwood and anise. Also known as "the green fairy", it has been long associated with a bohemian lifestyle. From The Virginian-Pilot:

For 95 years, Americans wanting a taste of absinthe had to sneak it in from Europe or Mexico – and risk getting the high-proof herbal liquor confiscated by U.S. Customs.

In May 2007, government officials lifted the ban on the drink once blamed for causing hallucinations and psychosis. A year later, Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board approved one brand for sale in the state.

Since June, Kubler Swiss Absinthe Superieure has been appearing on shelves at select ABC stores, including 13 in Hampton Roads. A 1 -liter bottle, the only size available, costs $59.95.

Absinthe has long been thought to produce hallucinatory affects. Wormwood contains thujone which produces effects similar to marijuana or opium. Recent studies have shown symptoms that were blamed on the thujone content, are actually attributable to the high alcohol level found in absinthe, something drinkers may be unprepared for.

Today, thujone still is thought to produce secondary effects similar to marijuana or opium. Dr. Chris Holstege, a medical toxicologist with University of Virginia Health System, called that a myth. “My concern over the thujone is minimal,” he said. “The only thing I worry about with the public is that they’re not going to understand the high content of ethanol in it.”

Absinthe is diluted before drinking. The preparation is almost ritualistic with specially designed glassware and slotted spoons. I'm curious. I'd be willing to have a taste, purely in the name of research of course, but probably won't be spending $60 on a bottle in order to do so.

Illustration: The Absinthe Drinker, Pablo Picasso, 1901

The Growth of "Boutique" Moonshine - A story with a familiar ring

The Washington Post is running an interesting article today on the rising interest in legal "moonshine" entitled Distillers Betting On 'Boutique' Versions of Hooch. Different from that produced in illegal stills in the south, this new beverage is upscale and created by legitimate distilleries.

MADISON, N.C. -- Joe Mahalek had mixed feelings the first time someone brought out the moonshine and offered him a glass at a Winston-Salem blues festival. The New York transplant was intrigued, yes, but also nervous. He'd heard that moonshine, also known as rotgut, white lightning and panther's breath, can blind or kill you.
<...>

The word "moonshine" conjures bootleggers and fast cars, mobsters and flappers. If Mahalek has his way, drinkers instead will associate it with concepts such as premium, smooth and $14 cocktail. His company, Piedmont Distillers, has launched two brands: Catdaddy is a flavored product redolent of nutmeg and vanilla (though Mahalek denies that either is on the secret list of ingredients); Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon -- named for the bootlegger, granddaddy of NASCAR and Last American Hero -- is more traditional, with a brisk, clean flavor. "When you say the word 'moonshine' and every head turns, you know you've got a powerful story," Mahalek says. "You've got their attention."
<...>

Less than two years after launching, Piedmont Distillers' moonshine is sold in 13 states, including Virginia. Other craft distillers also have introduced legal versions of old-style "corn likker": There's Heaven Hill's Georgia Moon, Virginia Moonshine's Virginia Lightning and Clyde May's Conecuh Ridge, a whiskey aged in charred barrels. Cochon, a trendy restaurant in New Orleans, offers an entire moonshine menu. "It's American grappa," says Cochon's assistant general manager, Audrey Rodriguez, who assembled the restaurant's list.

That was Mahalek's vision. In 2002, after years of sampling illegal moonshine made by "friends and folk," he decided to create a legal version. He began collecting recipes and quietly asking friends if he could examine their stills. Initially, many were suspicious, but Mahalek says that eventually "someone would hook me up with their daddy or an uncle who made shine. It's a lot more prevalent than you think."

The next step was building and registering a distillery, a process that can involve endless red tape. But here, Mahalek got lucky. A European still manufacturer had recently installed a still in an old train depot in Madison, a town of 2,500 just 30 miles from Mahalek's home in Winston-Salem. The owners had obtained the required permits, intending to make grappa from the region's muscadine grapes. But the business had not gotten off the ground. Mahalek bought the distillery in 2004. In the fall of 2005 he introduced his first product, Catdaddy, Southern slang for "best of the best."
<...>

Southern chefs, jumping on the eat-local bandwagon, also are incorporating the classic Southern hooch. Jared Lee at Noble's Grille in Winston-Salem adds Midnight Moon to the sauce for shrimp and grits. Soiree in Mooresville, N.C., puts Catdaddy in French onion soup, while Blue 5 in Roanoke adds it to the glaze for its Moonshine Chicken.

While reading the article I couldn't help but see many similarities between the up and coming legal moonshine business and the early craft beer movement. In both cases, legitimate businesses are now creating legal versions of once illegal beverages. Producers of both craft beer and moonshine are dealing with products bearing ignoble preconceived reputations and working successfully to raise the image of the beverages in the eyes of consumers. And just as craft beer is being recognized by chefs as an accepted ingredient for cooking, so is boutique moonshine. To complete this exercise, how long before craft brewers begin aging their beers in barrels that once were used for aging moonshine?

Read the full article here.