'Moonshiners' Stars Head to the Hills to Set Up New Stills In Season Premiere
The stars of "Moonshiners" are kicking the tires and lighting the fires for a brand new season full chock full of outlaws and backcountry brews. The 9th season of the popular Discovery Channel show is getting ready to air, and an exclusive sneak peek reveals the boys are getting back to their roots by setting up a still site in the woods of Franklin County, Virginia.
Show stars Tim and Tickle team up with the Whitlock Brothers to "rediscover their roots."
Tim explains the brothers "brought us in here up in the mountains, finally got us to the still sites." Tim Smith, a 3rd generation moonshiner is more commercial these days with his own signature line of liquor. However, he admits that he has a background in illegal moonshining and that he does not want to "lose contact, I don't want to lose the heritage" of brewing like his ancestors.
Tickle has a different explanation for Tim wanting to go rogue again, explaining "You can't take the woods out of an old moonshiner. boy don't forget where ya came from."
After firing up the still, the boys can't help but share some old moonshining stories and admit it "feels good" to get back out in the woods and keep the family tradition alive. In fact, tradition runs so deep that one of the Whitlock Brothers even shows off his impressive tattoo to the craft of moonshining.
Another preview of the new "Moonshiners" season showcases Tickle's brush with the law before becoming a free man. He teams up with some local moonshiners to set up his own still site with another group of moonshiners. While trying to navigate a pickup truck next to a river, Tickle realizes the changes in mother nature are going to force the moonshiners on to another still site.
What Is Moonshine?
Moonshine was originally used as a term for high-proof distilled liquors that were usually produced illegally, without government authorization or dues of taxes. It's generally referred to clear, unaged whiskey and is typically brewed in the US using a mash of either corn or grains. It can also be distilled with fruit to change the taste, and it's usually bottled around 120 proof.
Because of fear of law enforcement, many moonshiners produce their liquor in remote areas, such as the hills or woods, and set up stills at night to avoid detection. Once distilled, the liquor is passed off to a bootlegger who then transports to the moonshine to its next destination.
Fans Are Excited
Fans of "Moonshiners" are excited for the series to return, and are even hoping the new season will fill the void caused by other things going on in the news.
"Can I get a show of hands of who would rather would watch moonshiners than this stupid impeachment crap on TV, yes that's what I am doing!" one fan wrote on Twitter.
Another commented, "Exciting day. The new season of Moonshiners premiers tonight. Doesn't take much to make us old guys happy, you know."
The 9th season of "Moonshiners" premieres Tuesday, Nov 19 at 9 PM on Discovery.
