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Matthew B. Rowley

Moonshine!: Recipes * Tall Tales * Drinking Songs * Historical Stuff * Knee-Slappers * How to Make It * How to Drink It * Pleasin the Law * Recoverin the Next Day Paperback – Illustrated, May 1, 2007

by Matthew Rowley (Author)

4.7 471 ratings

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Now here’s a volume you can really drink to!

Something’s brewing in these pages, and it’s moonshine—a word that evokes fascination, curiosity, and a warm sense of nostalgia. Never before has there been such a richly illustrated, thorough, and entertaining celebration of the history of making fine distilled spirits. Take a trip through moonshining’s past: travel from its beginnings as a pioneer staple to the dark days of prohibition, from quickly produced urban rotgut to today’s carefully handcrafted artisanal libations. Get in on the fun with how-to instructions that take into account all legal regulations and requirements before covering ingredients, building a still, basic distilling techniques, and dozens of recipes, all adapted for the beginner. Whiskies, brandies, grappa, schnapps: they’re all here, along with dozens of page-turning quotes, song lyrics, and vintage photographs and illustrations.

“Making whisky or brandy is not the least bit difficult. Making something you’d want to drink…well, that may take some practice.” —Matthew B. Rowley

Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Union Square & Co.
Publication date

May 1, 2007
Dimensions

8.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1579906486
ISBN-13

978-1579906481
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The Joy of Home Distilling: The Ultimate Guide to Making Your Own Vodka, Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Moonshine, and More (Joy of Se

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How to Master Moonshine: Modern, safe methods for making your own alcohol (recipes included!)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Food historian Rowley wants readers of this home-distillation guide to know something about alcohol and the law: "Without inspection and proper approvals, you are not permitted to make any amount for personal use. Not one drop." That said, Rowley provides clear and well-illustrated instructions for building a still, preparing a mash and distilling alcohol right in your own backyard. It's a complicated process, requiring a fire extinguisher, the skills of a good metalsmith and plenty of patience. For those without the time or skill, however, Rowley includes plenty of appealing recipes for cordials and cocktails that don't require homemade spirits. Fish House Punch, rumored to have left George Washington with a "crippling hangover," is a powerful mix of bourbon, peach brandy, Benedictine and dark rum. Simpler, and similarly all-American, is Cherry Bounce, made with bourbon, honey and a gallon of sweet and sour cherries. But Rowley's mother provides perhaps the best recipe, an easy maceration of fruit and sugar that tastes great over ice cream or on its own. Rounded out with trivia, tall tales and a brief history of bootlegging, a list of home brewing resources and a few warnings for drinkers ("Even for accomplished boozers, moonshine can make off with your dignity before you understand what's happening"), this may be the last book one will ever need on the art of in-house hooch.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Food historian Rowley wants readers of this home-distillation guide to know something about alcohol and the law: "Without inspection and proper approvals, you are not permitted to make any amount for personal use. Not one drop." That said, Rowley provides clear and well-illustrated instructions for building a still, preparing a mash and distilling alcohol right in your own backyard. It's a complicated process, requiring a fire extinguisher, the skills of a good metalsmith and plenty of patience. For those without the time or skill, however, Rowley includes plenty of appealing recipes for cordials and cocktails that don't require homemade spirits. Fish House Punch, rumored to have left George Washington with a "crippling hangover," is a powerful mix of bourbon, peach brandy, Benedictine and dark rum. Simpler, and similarly all-American, is Cherry Bounce, made with bourbon, honey and a gallon of sweet and sour cherries. But Rowley's mother provides perhaps the best recipe, an easy maceration of fruit and sugar that tastes great over ice cream or on its own. Rounded out with trivia, tall tales and a brief history of bootlegging, a list of home brewing resources and a few warnings for drinkers ("Even for accomplished boozers, moonshine can make off with your dignity before you understand what's happening"), this may be the last book one will ever need on the art of in-house hooch. -- Publishers Weekly, March 26, 2007

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Union Square & Co.; Illustrated edition (May 1, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1579906486
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1579906481
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.22 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #477,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #130 in Whiskey
- #411 in Alcoholic Spirits
- #432 in Homebrewing, Distilling & Wine Making

Customer Reviews:
4.7 471 ratings

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About the author

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Matthew B. Rowley

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Matthew Rowley is one of America's foremost experts in extra-legal and folk distilling. The former museum curator is the author of the historical/how-to distilling manual Moonshine! (Lark Books, 2007) and contributor to several edited volumes on drinks. Both he and his writing have been featured in:

* The New York Times

* The Los Angeles Times

* The San Francisco Chronicle

* The New Orleans Times-Picayune

* The Washington Post

* Wine & Spirits

* Imbibe Magazine

* National Public Radio

* Salon.com

* Ministryofrum.com

Rowley is a former board member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, a past presenter at Tales of the Cocktail, and has spoken on drinking and cocktail culture for universities, radio, and television. His recipes and essays have been published by the University of North Carolina Press, Simon & Schuster, the Taunton Press, and others.

As a freelance writer, his spirits and cocktail clients include The American Distilling Institute, The Cocktail & Spirits Online Writers Group, Léirithe le Mac Dara Ó Curraidhín, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Museum of the American Cocktail. Additional clients may be found at www.matthew-rowley.com.

He maintains Rowley's Whiskey Forge (www.whiskeyforge.com), a website devoted to food and drink, widely read by cocktail enthusiasts and food aficionados.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

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L. Mongreig

Depends on what you're looking for.

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2013

Verified Purchase

How much you like this book is going to depend on what it is you are looking for. If you want the history of moonshine making, you are in luck, almost one third of the book is devoted to this. Want instructions on how to build a copper pot still? The book devotes a fair amount of space to this subject, and the instructions are very good. If you like dumb cartoons, you will be pleased since the book has (way too) many of them. Once you finally get down to the nuts and bolts of cooking up a batch of corn whiskey at home the step by step instructions are very good. Special attention is paid to the temperature ranges you should monitor to separate out the various components of the final product. The moonshine shows on television do a great and dangerous disservice by giving very superficial coverage to the real process. Case in point: The moonshiners are often shown waiting for the first few drops of product to emerge from their worm, which it appears they drink to test their new batch. Fortunately, this book makes it very clear not to go any closer than sniffing this stuff for identification purposes, since it can kill you! Bottom line is that this book is a worthwhile investment for the budding home distiller, even though it has what I would call a lot of wasted paper.

4 people found this helpful

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David Montgomery

Don't Judge a book by its cover...

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2020

Verified Purchase

So I did the unthinkable and judged this book by its cover. I have many books on distilling and this one is by far a well rounded and thought book. It touches on subjects such as "how to build a still" and supplies the plans. Recipes are good too! Add this one to your library.

2 people found this helpful

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Bill

More of a joke book than anything I thought

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2023

Verified Purchase

Didn't teach me much about moonshining I gave the book to my nephew I hope he enjoyed it

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020

Verified Purchase

Being born and raised in East Tennessee, I am aware of the history and traditions of my region of the country. This book provided hours of enjoyable reading. It allowed me to think about the legacy of Scots-Irish people that settled in the hardscrabble lands of mountains and rivers. Their penchant for making corn liquor was a necessity and those quart jars were used as currency. I enjoyed t he book so much, I bought one for my good friend as a Christmas gift.

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Ben

Best book for a beginner ever

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2012

Verified Purchase

If you are just starting out, you want this book! The only thing I see it is missing is a short review on how to braze copper... and I only say that after reading the very detailed instructions on building a small copper pot still. Recipes are not that great, but give a noob a good start to work with. I am not sure where the "recoverin' the next day" or many of the other advertised sections are but you do get a good history, great instructions on making a batch as well as still plans and the previous mentioned detailed instructions. I have purchased several books on the subject over the past few years and wish I had this one first!

One person found this helpful

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ms4n6rn

History of moonshine

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022

Verified Purchase

Cute book full of Infoo about the history of moonshine. Would make a great gift!

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Amazon Customer

Good read for biginners!

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

Although this book is just the basics I gave it 4 stars because I had no prior knowledge of distilling prior to reading this book. It has awaken my hunger for more knowledge and since have read more books on the subject. The author gives a little "hillbilly twang" in his context but if you are a Southerner or from the hills there should be no problem cyphering the text. There is a step by step method with detailed instructions and diagrams to build a basic pot still (which is handy). A quick read but enjoyable to say the least. Will give you what you need to get started down the right path.

5 people found this helpful

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Miz Valeer

Lovely, Lovely Gift (Might End Up Keeping it for Yourself. ;P)

Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

Lovely little book for any friends that love a good, stiff drink. (Or any kind of drink, really.)

Got this for my best friend these past holidays, and might have to get MYSELF a copy: it's very easy to get caught up reading the anecdotes and little bits of history. Plus, of course, DRINK MIXES/recipes abound!

(Made a great themed gift with this lovely book, a fancy shot glass, and the replacement of one of our most beloved CDs of drinking songs: Whiskey in the Jar: Essential Irish Drinking Songs & Sing Alongs .))

4 people found this helpful

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