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Here’s a great video about the history of moonshine in the Appalachians. It’s actually from the DVD bonus features included on The Last One , the documentary about Popcorn Sutton and Appalachian moonshine. This video is a great introduction to the history of moonshine in America that started with the Scotch-Irish bringing their distilling knowledge with them from Ireland.

The last part of the video (8:22) really sums up the reason why so much moonshine came out of Appalachia. It’s also the reason why the South is the last bastion of freedom in the entire world. (I’ll have to do a post on that topic soon.)

If you don’t own The Last One you need to get it. The Last One is the best documentary on moonshine – ever. I have watched it over 20 times now and will probably watch it again soon. It’s such a great documentary and if you are at all interested in moonshine, it needs to be in your DVD library.

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Here’s a trailer for a great video about moonshine in Tennessee (to watch the entire 30 minute film click the “Full Movie” link.)

This 1978 film follows Hamper McBee, a ballad singer and moonshiner that lived on the Cumberland Plateau in Monteagle, Tennessee. There’s some great footage of him building a round sheet metal still, somewhat similar in construction to the submarine stills of Virginia. The still he builds is sometimes called a groundhog still. It’s round and has a wooden top and bottom (as opposed to the submarine still which is oval and has wooden sides.) The still sits on the ground and the furnace is built up around the metal sides.

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