A little reason to celebrate
National Moonshine Day
Drink ยท June 5
A look at moonshine, the clear, unaged corn spirit long tied to Appalachian hollows, mason jars and stories told after dark.
National Moonshine Day falls on Saturday, June 5, 2027. That is 221 days away.
Moonshine is clear whiskey that skips the barrel. It is usually made from a mash of corn, sometimes with sugar added, then distilled and bottled straight away. Because it never rests in wood, it keeps the color of water and much of the raw, grainy taste of what it came from.
The name points to its history. For a long time, much of it was made without permission, often at night in remote places, and the moonlight in the word is a nod to that secrecy. The image most people carry is a copper still tucked in the woods of the Appalachian mountains, with the finished spirit poured into a mason jar. That picture is part legend and part fact, and it has fed a great many songs and stories.
Today, licensed distilleries sell legal moonshine, and the jar has stayed with it. Some versions are fierce and plain. Others are softened with fruit, so a jar might hold apple pie or peach flavors, with pieces of fruit floating inside. It tends to be sipped slowly, mixed into lemonade or tea, or simply admired on a shelf, where it looks a lot like canned preserves that took a wrong turn.
People mark the day by sharing a legal bottle with friends, swapping family tales about a great uncle who knew a guy, or putting on old-time string music. Home distilling is a different matter, since it is restricted by law and making spirits safely takes real equipment and training.
The mason jar itself was designed for canning vegetables and fruit, and it ended up as the most recognizable container in this whole story.
Ways to celebrate
- Taste a legally made moonshine slowly, if you are of legal drinking age.
- Listen to old-time or bluegrass songs about moonshine and mountain life.
- Ask older relatives for family stories about rural life and stills.
- Read about the history of moonshining in Appalachia.
- Mix a nonalcoholic apple pie drink served in a mason jar.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, June 5 |
| 2027 | Saturday, June 5 |
| 2028 | Monday, June 5 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, June 5 |
| 2030 | Wednesday, June 5 |
Also on June 5
- National Gingerbread Day
- National Black Bear Day
- National Bubbly Day
- Hot Air Balloon Day
- National Veggie Burger Day
- National Trails Day
Categories: Drink days