Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/39104
WHAT WE’RE DRINKING Pride Tennessee changed, paving the way for licensed craft distillers to legally make and sell the pride of Appalachia. “It was a no brainer,” comments Joe Baker, one of Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine’s owners, who along with his old college room- mate and business partner quickly launched their distillery after the 90 / the tasting panel / august 201 1 OLE SMOKY TENNESSEE MOONSHINE BRINGS A HOME-BRED TREASURE TO MARKET of Appalachia T by Geoff Kleinman / photos by Patrick Murphey-Racey here are a number of unaged whiskeys on the market, but few are steeped in the history and culture of the Appalachian mountain range of Eastern Tennessee. Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine captures the spirit of this region and is made through a craft that’s hundreds of years old and has been passed down through the generations. Moonshine is often mistakenly seen as the drink of bootleggers and bandits, a fiery swill which burns going down and might just make you blind. While there is a deep history of moonshiners mixing it up with law enforcement, moonshine may more accurately be characterized as the artisanal product of farmhouse stills—a handmade and homemade spirit. There’s an immense amount of family pride that goes into each Mason jar of moonshine, a frequent sight at celebrations, birthdays and gatherings in Eastern Tennessee. Moonshine is something treasured and revered and far from the fire water it’s often mistaken for. In 2009, liquor laws in Moonshine is steeped in the history and culture of the Appalachian moun- tain range of Eastern Tennessee. Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine is made from the signature spirit and adds apple juice, ground cinnamon and spices.