I recently found this really interesting map from The Economist showing global alcohol consumption in liters per person based off data from 2003-2005. As high it seems from this chart, I can’t help but imagine that the chart that would be created from maybe 2009-2011 would be even higher due to the difficult economic and personally trying times that have been upon us. The description mentioned moonshine consumption which causes the data to be estimated in some places. This sparked a curiosity to look into moonshine because all I’ve ever known about moonshine is that it was produced in series Dukes of Hazzard, supporting the reputation that moonshine has always carried.
Essentially, moonshine is any illegally distilled beverage. Moonshine is produced by using an unlicensed still typically made of copper. A simple recipe can be found by Googling moonshine, despite the fact that it is illegal. The basic ingredients are corn meal, sugar, water, yeast, and malt. A sugar source is used to produce ethanol and is extracted through distillation in the still. Moonshine can be harmful because the materials used can contain toxins or other impurities which can also impact the flavor along with making it dangerous to ingest. Moonshine can also contain methanol, a toxic alcohol that is very dangerous to consume.
Documentaries have been made recently showing that moonshine is still being produced. An example I found is one called “Still Making Moonshine” which shows Jim Tom making moonshine from a still he has set up inside his camper (see clip here). He states “he loves to make it” and it’s clear he has no intention on stopping regardless of its illegal status.
After learning just a little bit about moonshine, its clearer how the map estimated that 30% of the world’s alcohol consumption is accounted for by moonshine based. Not only is the information readily available on the internet, it doesn’t seem like a difficult process to obtain alcohol, regardless of the possible risks involved.
No comments:
Post a Comment