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Is Commercial Moonshine Really Moonshine?

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With the boom in craft spirits of the last 15 years has come an avalanche of new-make spirits labeled “moonshine,” “white dog,” or “white lightning,” often flavored with everything from apple pie to jalapeño to pumpkin spice. But what exactly is the stuff? Is it just a gimmick?

Moonshine is high-proof liquor, traditionally made, or at least distributed, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial distilleries have adopted the term for its outlaw cachet and begun producing their own legally sanctioned, novelty “moonshine,” including many flavored varieties, that in some sense continue its tradition, generally having a similar method and/or location of production.

Especially in the South, traditional moonshine still “homemade” and distributed to friends and family. Is can be made from any fermentable substrate, from sugar to grain to stone fruit. Whatever distillers can get their hands on and want to work with is fair game.

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

Related: Flavored Whiskey: More Common And Delicious Than You Think 

In short, it’s a difference in proof at distillation. Neutral spirits—of which vodka is a subcategory—must be at least 95% alcohol coming off the still, whereas whiskey must be distilled to less than 95% ABV. American whiskeys like bourbon, rye, and corn whiskey can’t be distilled above 80% ABV. Those differences are important, because the lower the proof at distillation, the more flavorful congeners carry over from the grain to the final spirit. White whiskey, in other words, is different from vodka, but some of what gets sold as “moonshine” is legally vodka. Check the fine print—if the label says “neutral spirits,” it’s not whiskey.

So why are these spirits so trendy these days? You see brands like Ole Smoky on shelves in mason jars and people are buying them right and left.

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

In large part, it’s because whiskey, like other aged spirits, is expensive and time-consuming to produce. It can be years before newly-distilled bourbon or rye is ready to hit the shelves, and small start-ups usually can’t afford to sit around twiddling their thumbs while whiskey is maturing. That leaves them with two options: buy and bottle sourced whiskey, or make clear spirits that can be sold right away. Gin, vodka, and white rum are all options, but so-called moonshine has an outlaw mystique that fits well with the branding of a lot of small distilleries. Some large distilleries, like Buffalo Trace, have since jumped on the bandwagon with their own new-make bottlings.

RELATED: Building A Boilermaker: The Art Of Pairing Whiskey And Beer 

The fact that white dog is usually either a marketing ploy or a financial stopgap doesn’t necessarily mean it’s to be avoided. For one thing, it can be a great mixer, serving as a more-flavorful substitute for vodka. It can also be interesting to taste various styles of whiskey in their new-make form, and even, if you have the space and patience, try aging it at home.



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The Best Easy Super Bowl Cocktails

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Ready to get your game on with these Super Bowl cocktails?

It is the finale to the football season and a good chunk of the population tunes in to watch the Super Bowl. Alone, with a few friends or a full on party…it is a festive occasions (at least until the 4th quarter in a tight game) and people enjoy a beverage.  The Super Bowl is a drinking day for most viewers.  As you settle into the 59th annual game, try the best Super Bowl cocktails.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

Creole Bloody Mary

In a nod to the host city New Orleans, a Creole Bloody Mary is the best to pre-func and get right to start watching the game! This is a flavorful way to start the day.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vodka
  • 4-1/2 cups chilled tomato juice
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4-6 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Celery for garnish

Create

  1. Fill shaker with ice
  2. Combine vodka, juices, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and hot sauce in shaker
  3. Strain and pour in a tall glass with ice
  4. Garnish with celery stick

Super Bowl Julep

The nice thing about the Super Bowl is you can enjoy day drinking. While a Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby, it is refreshing enough for morning football drinking. Plus it is good for the throat after all the cheering.

Ingredients

  • 4 sprigs of mint
  • 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of water
  • 2 oz. bourbon
  • Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Create

  1. Muddle the mint, the sugar and the water in a cup
  2. Add the bourbon and stir gently
  3. Fill a glass to the top with finely crushed ice, add the julep mix and garnish with mint

FYI, an ounce of mint simple syrup can be substituted for the mint/sugar/water mixture

Perfect Stormy

Why not combine the classic beer with the cocktail.  Mix it up and enjoy this drink…rich in flavor and filling enough you don’t have too many over the course of the game.

2 oz amber rum

1 oz egg white

1 oz fresh lime juice

¾ oz ginger simple syrup

3 dashes Scrappy’s lime bitters

4 oz light beer

Glass: Highball tumbler/Collins glas

Create

  1. Dry shake all ingredients except the beer
  2. Add ice and shake
  3. Double strain into a collins glass with ice
  4. Top up with beer

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Gatorade Margarita

Everyone knows hydration is important when plays sports. It is also important for fans, especially if they are celebrating.  Gatorade is part of the football culture, dive in with this take on a classic cocktail.

Ingredients

Create

  1. Mix the sugar and salt in a shallow dish
  2. Wet the rims of 4 to 6 rocks glasses with water and then dip in the sugar-salt mixture to coat
  3. Combine the sports drink, limeade concentrate, tequila and blue curacao in a large pitcher and stir
  4. Fill the rocks glasses with ice
  5. Pour the margarita into the glass
  6. Garnish each with an orange slice

Fourth Quarter Rum Countdown

When the fourth quarter hits, it can be a focus time, keep it simple with this classic drink.  Quick to prepare, refreshing to drink and the soda is a little caffeine boost after tailgating.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Superior rum
  • 3 oz cola
  • Lime for garnish

Create

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice
  2. Pour in a good rum
  3. Add the chilled cola, stir
  4. Garnish with lime



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alcohol

The Best Easy Super Bowl Cocktails

Published

on

By


Ready to get your game on with these Super Bowl cocktails?

It is the finale to the football season and a good chunk of the population tunes in to watch the Super Bowl. Alone, with a few friends or a full on party…it is a festive occasions (at least until the 4th quarter in a tight game) and people enjoy a beverage.  The Super Bowl is a drinking day for most viewers.  As you settle into the 59th annual game, try the best Super Bowl cocktails.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

Creole Bloody Mary

In a nod to the host city New Orleans, a Creole Bloody Mary is the best to pre-func and get right to start watching the game! This is a flavorful way to start the day.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vodka
  • 4-1/2 cups chilled tomato juice
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4-6 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Celery for garnish

Create

  1. Fill shaker with ice
  2. Combine vodka, juices, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and hot sauce in shaker
  3. Strain and pour in a tall glass with ice
  4. Garnish with celery stick

Super Bowl Julep

The nice thing about the Super Bowl is you can enjoy day drinking. While a Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby, it is refreshing enough for morning football drinking. Plus it is good for the throat after all the cheering.

Ingredients

  • 4 sprigs of mint
  • 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of water
  • 2 oz. bourbon
  • Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Create

  1. Muddle the mint, the sugar and the water in a cup
  2. Add the bourbon and stir gently
  3. Fill a glass to the top with finely crushed ice, add the julep mix and garnish with mint

FYI, an ounce of mint simple syrup can be substituted for the mint/sugar/water mixture

Perfect Stormy

Why not combine the classic beer with the cocktail.  Mix it up and enjoy this drink…rich in flavor and filling enough you don’t have too many over the course of the game.

2 oz amber rum

1 oz egg white

1 oz fresh lime juice

¾ oz ginger simple syrup

3 dashes Scrappy’s lime bitters

4 oz light beer

Glass: Highball tumbler/Collins glas

Create

  1. Dry shake all ingredients except the beer
  2. Add ice and shake
  3. Double strain into a collins glass with ice
  4. Top up with beer

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Gatorade Margarita

Everyone knows hydration is important when plays sports. It is also important for fans, especially if they are celebrating.  Gatorade is part of the football culture, dive in with this take on a classic cocktail.

Ingredients

Create

  1. Mix the sugar and salt in a shallow dish
  2. Wet the rims of 4 to 6 rocks glasses with water and then dip in the sugar-salt mixture to coat
  3. Combine the sports drink, limeade concentrate, tequila and blue curacao in a large pitcher and stir
  4. Fill the rocks glasses with ice
  5. Pour the margarita into the glass
  6. Garnish each with an orange slice

Fourth Quarter Rum Countdown

When the fourth quarter hits, it can be a focus time, keep it simple with this classic drink.  Quick to prepare, refreshing to drink and the soda is a little caffeine boost after tailgating.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz Bacardi Superior rum
  • 3 oz cola
  • Lime for garnish

Create

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice
  2. Pour in a good rum
  3. Add the chilled cola, stir
  4. Garnish with lime



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New Orleans and Marijuana – The Fresh Toast

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The Super Bowl followed by Mardi Gras – New Orleans is definitely the city of the moment – but will marijuana be in the mix?

They have the Super Bowl followed by the weeks long celebration of Mardi Gras. Folks are everywhere with open alcohol containers and you might catch a whiff of a green plant. As the party city of the country, what about New Orleans and marijuana? The commitment to imbibe is so strong, it took the threat of losing federal highways funds before they raised the minimum drinking age to 21. Securing the position of the last state to pass the legalization. While cannabis will definitely be at both marquee events this month, the city and state have a complicated with the plant.

RELATED: Veterans With PTSD Are Given A Little Hope

While recreational cannabis is illegal, New Orleans still hosts various cannabis-related events, such as the Big Easy Vibe Fest, which highlights the growing interest in cannabis culture and industry. Medical marijuana is legal and the city and state have embraced it. Also, being the Big Easy, there are illegal “cannabis” trucks which really sell heavy CBD. Scratch the surface, and you will find it all over.

person riding on tractor surrounded by peoples

In the early 20th century, New Orleans was at the forefront of marijuana prohibition in the United States. The city’s first ordinance banning marijuana was enacted in 1923, following a wave of public concern over its perceived dangers. This period, often referred to as the “marijuana menace,” was marked by police raids and arrests of users and sellers, with those caught being dubbed “muggleheads” by the press and law enforcement24. The state of Louisiana soon followed with its own prohibition laws, solidifying marijuana’s illegal status.

Fast-forward to 2016, when New Orleans took a significant step towards decriminalizing marijuana possession. Ordinance 31,148, signed into law by Mayor Mitch Landrieu, allowed for the issuance of summonses instead of arrests for marijuana possession, reducing penalties to modest fines1. This move was part of a broader trend across the U.S. to reevaluate marijuana laws, reflecting changing public attitudes towards the drug.

Currently, the only legal way to purchase and consume marijuana in New Orleans is through the state’s medical marijuana program. Patients must obtain a recommendation from a licensed healthcare provider to access cannabis products from approved dispensaries3. Louisiana also offers reciprocity for out-of-state medical marijuana patients, allowing them to purchase cannabis while visiting the city

The current political environment in the state doesn’t seem to eager to legalize something already used by a significant portion of the public.  But for now, everyone in town for party will have plenty of access.



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