Apple Pie Moonshine

The 12th Post: Moonshine

Have you seen the show Moonshiners?  I will have to admit it is one of my favorites. I'd really like to make moonshine...but I'm not big on breaking the law, so I don't see it happening any time soon. Really, I think I'd like to hang out with some of the guys from Moonshiners for a day (though admittedly, without the benefit of subtitles, I am not sure how much I would get out of our time together.

My father-in-law introduced me to a delicious treasure that will have to suffice until I have my own still. Apple Pie Moonshine. Lucky for me, my mother lives in Oregon where 90% Everclear is legal to buy, and that is what the recipe calls for. Does make it even more appealing to visit her. However, I experimented tonight with 75.5% Everclear, and I just used a bit more and it seemed to work just fine.

The stuff is pretty delicious, and it doesn't taste very strong, so be careful!

Apple Pie Moonshine

1 Gallon of Apple Juice
1 Gallon of Apple Cider
1 1/2 cups of White Sugar
2 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
8 cinnamon sticks
1 liter of 190 Proof Grain Alcohol, Everclear or equivalent.

To get started, you need a large boiling pot. Add into this pot the apple juice, apple cider, the white and brown sugar, and the whole fresh cinnamon sticks. Bring these contents to a boil, then remove the pot from the stove and let it cool down to room temperature. Once at room temperature, gradually stir in the 190 proof grain alcohol. What you don’t consume in one sitting, you can bottle for later use. Store it in sterile Mason jars, place one cinnamon stick in each jar, and then store them in a cool dark dry place. After a couple of weeks your Apple Pie Moonshine will taste even better. This batch will make about 4 1/2 quarts. (Recipe borrowed from http://goodoleways.com/daves-apple-pie-moonshine-recipe/dogs-secret-recipe-file/)

As you can see from the photos I doubled the above recipe. I also use double tall cinnamon sticks, because I think they look better in the jars. It makes a great gift, and stays good for a long time. Hope you enjoy it.