Monday, 12 September 2016

Get A Moonshine Recipe And Know What Is In Your Drink

By Betty Perry


Those in the know have discovered that famous brand names do not always mean that the product is better. In fact, something that you made yourself, in the comfort of your own kitchen, is often far superior to what you can get in the stores. It also allows you to know exactly what the product contains. Furthermore, you can make almost everything yourself, including strong liquor. For a great homemade tipple, you only need a moonshine recipe and some basic equipment.

Most people think of moonshine as something that is made by farmers in the Appalachian Mountains. It's a type of liquor that tends to be so strong that drinking it feels like pouring fire down your throat. However, similar versions are made all over the world and have different names. What they all have in common is that they're usually distilled at home and contain a lot of alcohol.

The drink that comes from the Appalachian region is distilled from corn mash. This is a mixture of mashed corn, yeast, sugar and pure water. The corn is mainly responsible for the drink's flavor. The reason for adding yeast is that the mash has to ferment so that the sugar can be turned into alcohol and provide the kick you want to get from each fiery drop.

After three or four days, the mash has fermented enough. You can now filter the liquid and bottle it as a type of beer. To turn it into something strong enough to make your eyes water, however, you need to distill it. To do this, place the mash in a large distilling pot and heat it. The vapors will rise into a special part of the pot known as the condenser, where they will cool into a clear liquid with lots of kick.

While the moonshine made in the Appalachian region normally has a base of corn, you can also try other starches instead, including wheat, barley or rice. Potatoes are commonly used in countries such as Finland, Iceland and Ireland. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, people sometimes use cassava or plantains to make what they call lotoko.

Often distillers will use fruits instead of grains or starches. Sugar cane is a common ingredient in the countries of the Caribbean and Central America. In Eastern Europe, a drink made from plums is popular but you can also find versions using apricots, cherries, peaches or even walnuts, each with its own distinct flavor.

In the world's wine regions, grapes are naturally in abundance. This means that distillers in these areas often choose grapes as the main ingredient for what then becomes a drink not unlike brandy. A very strong, clear liquor known as 'witblits', or 'white lightning', is a highly rated product from South Africa's wine region and is often available in local liquor stores.

Technically, you can't really call it 'moonshine' if it has been produced legally. Most countries have very strict regulations about producing alcohol at home. However, it is possible to get a distilling license to legally produce liquor in small batches, so check the local laws before you invest in that distilling pot.




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