Kentucky Moonshine [Paperback]

David W. Maurer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

" When the first American tax on distilled spirits was established in 1791, violence broke out in Pennsylvania. The resulting Whiskey Rebellion sent hundreds of families down the Ohio River by flatboat, stills on board, to settle anew in the fertile bottomlands of Kentucky. Here they used cold limestone spring water to make bourbon and found that corn produced even better yields of whiskey than rye. Thus, the licit and illicit branches of the distilling industry grew up side by side in the state. This is the story of the illicit side -- the moonshiners' craft and craftsmanship, as practiced in Kentucky. A glossary of moonshiner argot sheds light on such colorful terms as "puker," "slop," and "weed-monkey." David Maurer's tone is tongue-in-cheek, but he provides a realistic look at the Kentucky moonshiner and the moonshining industry.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The late David M. Maurer was professor of English at the University of Louisville. He was also the author of The Big Con: The Story of the American Confidence Man.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky; 2 edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813190541
• ISBN-13: 978-0813190549
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars kentucky moonshine is a useful historical work, April 12, 2001

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This review is from: Kentucky Moonshine (Kentucky Bicentennial Bookshelf) (Paperback)

I read this book in college for kicks and it opened my eyes about many things. Moonshiners were not just crusty old mountaineers who wanted to get drunk and have a good time. This book explains how the social and economic aspects of an agrarian sub-culture led to an era of Americana that has been immortalized by icons like the Hatfield/McCoy feud, Snuffy Smith, and characters from "The Andy Griffith Show". Maurer shows how a seemingly innocuous pasttime like making illicit liguor grew from an immigrant tradition to the sport of NASCAR. Anecdotes, pictures, illustrations, and testimony brings it all together. A good read for anyone intersted in a often misunderstood piece of American history.