Is commercial moonshine really moonshine?

With the boom in craft spirits over the past 15 years has come an avalanche of new spirits labeled “Moonshine,” “White Dog,” or “White Lightning,” often flavored with everything from apple pie to jalapeño pumpkin spices. But what exactly is this stuff? Is it just a gimmick?

Moonshine is high-proof alcohol that is traditionally produced or at least sold illegally. The name comes from the tradition of preparing alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries adopted the term for its outlaw cachet and began producing their own legally sanctioned, novel “moonshine,” including many flavored varieties that in some ways continue their tradition and generally a similar one Method used and/or place of production.

Especially in the south, traditional moonshine is still “homemade” and distributed to friends and family. It can be made from any fermentable substrate, from sugar to grains to stone fruits. Anything distilleries can get their hands on and want to work with is fair game.

Commercial alcohol labeled as moonshine is typically one of two things: neutral grain spirit or unaged whiskey. But what’s the difference?

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In short, it is a difference in detection during distillation. Neutral spirits – of which vodka is a subcategory – must contain at least 95% alcohol from the still, while whiskey must be distilled to less than 95% ABV. American whiskeys such as bourbon, rye and corn whiskey cannot be distilled above 80% ABV. These differences are important because the lower the alcohol content during distillation, the more aromatic congeners are transferred from the grain to the final spirit. In other words, white whiskey is different from vodka, but some of what is sold as “moonshine” is legally vodka. Look at the fine print: If the label says “neutral spirits,” it’s not whiskey.

Why are these spirits so trendy these days? Brands like Ole Smoky sit on shelves in mason jars and people buy them everywhere.

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This is in large part because whiskey, like other aged spirits, is expensive and time-consuming to produce. It can take years for freshly distilled bourbon or rye to hit the market, and small startups typically can’t afford to sit around and twiddle their thumbs while the whiskey ages. This gives them two options: buy whiskey and bottle it, or make clear spirits that can be sold immediately. Gin, vodka and white rum are all options, but the so-called moonshine has an outlaw mystique that fits well with the branding of many small distilleries. Some major distilleries, like Buffalo Trace, have now jumped on the bandwagon with their own new bottlings.

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The fact that White Dog is usually either a marketing ploy or a financial stopgap doesn’t necessarily mean it should be avoided. For one thing, it can be a great mixer and serve as a more flavorful substitute for vodka. It can also be interesting to try different styles of whiskey in their new form and, if you have enough space and patience, even try aging it at home.