White lighting, city gin, corn liquor, or hillbilly pop. Call it what you'd like, but moonshine has deep roots when it comes to swilling booze. Moonshiners were outlaws who distilled the high-proof alcohol deep in the woods, always looking over their shoulders to avoid arrest. Today, laws have been put into place that have allowed distilleries to create products that are actually worth drinking. Here, four of our favorite moonshine distilleries across the United States -- most of which are free to tour and taste.
Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery (Dawsonville, GA)
Owner Cheryl Wood’s family has been making moonshine with their signature recipe for more than nine generations. The Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery, located next to city hall, offers tours and tastings of their Georgia corn whiskey moonshine, their apple pie moonshine, and apple brandy.
Ole Smoky Moonshine (Gatlinburg, TN)
Located in Gatlinburg, in the Great Smoky Mountains, Ole Smoky makes both traditional and flavored varieties, bottled in quirky-looking Mason jars. Live music and free tastings of their lemon, strawberry, and pumpkin pie varieties ranging in proof from 40 to 100 -- no wonder it's such a popular stop on Tennessee road trips.
Troy and Sons Distilling (Asheville, NC)
Troy and Sons has been creating moonshine from a special type of white corn that has been growing in Western North Carolina since the 1800s. In 2010, Troy began distilling small-batch moonshine and is one of only a few female distillers. Be sure to try their platinum, oak-aged, and blonde whiskey varieties.
Copper Run Distillery (Walnut Shade, MO)
Copper Run Distillery and Tasting Room is the first legal distillery in the Ozark Mountains since prohibition. While they don’t have a traditional tour and tasting, you can always stop by their tasting room for a $5 flight of their full range, including the Ozark Mountain Moonshine or flavored moonshine infusions.