Last month I attended a virtual presentation by Kevin R. Kosar author of Moonshine: A Global History. His website offers a lot of info about all sorts of booze. The book, and presentation, explores the 600 year global history of moonshine. The word moonshine isn’t American, it comes from the British Isles circa 1425. Starting in 1780 publications used the term to mean illicit brandy and gin, not just whiskey. The illicit, unlicensed, nature seems to over shadow the type of liquor. Kosar pointed out that it doesn’t matter if you’re in Arizona or using plums, or cashews, if you don’t possess a license to distill you’re making moonshine. He also pointed out that running moonshine isn’t only a male thing. Woman in Thailand have made moonshine from rice for generations. Check out his book to learn more.
During the event Lucy McLoughlin in Ireland posted some interesting tidbits about moonshine whiskey in the chat:
- The word Whiskey (spell whisky in America) comes from the Irish term Uisce Beatha (pronounced ish-kuh bah-ha). Uisce means water and Beatha means life. So Whiskey quite literally means Water of Life.
- Poitín (pronounced puh-cheen) is the Irish equivalent of moonshine. It was traditionally made from potatoes, shocking, I know!
Yes, I bought a copy of the book from the University of Chicago Press and added to my collection of books about moonshine.