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Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music

CR018/PH04 - White Lightning

Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music

Tyler Mahan Coe

History

4.88.2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 June 2021

⏱️ 101 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In North Carolina, way back in the hills, there's a centuries-old tradition of cooking illegal liquor. Whether you feel that's right or wrong, good or bad, may be determined by any number of factors but the objective truth is moonshine whiskey greatly impacted the course of United States culture on several occasions. Ever wonder why so many people will never trust the government or politicians? Press play. Ever wonder if the "moonshine" you can now buy in liquor stores is really moonshine? Press play. "White Lightning" was George Jones' first #1 country record, sure, but it's also the cork in a jug of profoundly strong history. 

Transcript

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0:00.0

Speaking hypothetically, here's one way to make moonshine.

0:07.4

First, you need malt.

0:10.0

That's a mixture of grains, usually some combination of corn, barley, and or rye, sprouted in water,

0:17.0

then laid out to dry.

0:18.7

Halting germination at the point where enough of the grain starches have converted to the

0:22.8

sugar needed to fuel fermentation in the next step.

0:27.4

Then you need water.

0:29.0

Now the foremost authority on moonshine would have to be popcorns Sutton, who always said

0:34.2

if you're trying to make good liquor, then you can't use city water at any stage of the

0:39.0

process because of all the chemicals in it.

0:42.3

But most people who've made moonshine in the United States spent at least a week breaking

0:47.2

the law and a pretty conspicuous way to do it.

0:50.2

So let's assume we're out in the hill, somewhere far away from modern civilization, near a natural

0:55.9

source of pure spring water.

0:59.2

Once you've done a few runs in a new spot without any trouble from government agents or passers-by,

1:05.0

maybe you'll set up a more permanent operation.

1:07.9

Until then you're looking for a decent sized mound of earth so you can dig out one side

1:12.8

and using clay pack a big metal trash can in there to make a furnace.

1:18.3

After you get the trash can in there, you level off the top of the mound so it works as a

1:22.6

stove top.

1:24.0

Then build a fire in your new furnace and heat up a bunch of water until you see it just

1:28.5

start thinking about boiling.

...

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