Moonshine

Moonshine — unaged or minimally aged corn whiskey — is one of America’s oldest spirit traditions, born in the Appalachian Mountains. Wooden Cork carries the full moonshine selection: Ole Smoky (Gatlinburg, Tennessee), Tim Smith’s Climax (Appalachian heritage), Midnight Moon (Junior Johnson family recipe), and a range of fruit-infused expressions including Apple Pie, Peach, and Blackberry.

Browse all American whiskey at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between commercial moonshine and traditional illegal moonshine?

Traditional moonshine was illicit corn whiskey produced without a federal distilling license, without paying excise tax, and often in improvised stills with no quality controls — the illegality was the defining characteristic, not the style. Commercial moonshine from licensed distilleries like Ole Smoky and Midnight Moon is federally regulated, taxed, and produced with modern quality standards. The style — unaged or lightly aged corn whiskey with a raw grain character — is the same; what changed is the legal status. The word “moonshine” is now effectively a marketing category for white dog and unaged corn spirit, not a description of illegal production.

Why do some moonshines come in mason jars?

The mason jar is a deliberate reference to how traditional Appalachian bootleggers stored and transported illegal whiskey — glass mason jars were inexpensive, widely available, food-safe, and didn’t impart flavor the way wood did. They were the practical container of the illegal trade. Ole Smoky and other commercial producers use mason jar packaging as a direct nod to that heritage and as a visual shorthand that immediately signals “moonshine” to the consumer. It is packaging strategy, not a functional requirement — the liquid inside is identical regardless of whether it’s bottled in a mason jar or a standard glass bottle.