Moonshiners (2011–…): Season 10, Episode 12 - Caught Red-Handed - full transcript
MAN: [VOICEOVER] This
time on "Moonshiners."
See these pillars?
I'm thinking put a couple
of beams here, little roof.
Tell you what--
We'll camo this so it can't
be seen from that river.
This is the perfect place.
That's 10 foot right here.
We're gonna be the trolls making
moonshine under the bridge.
Now you got something
you want to show us?
What do you think about
this stuff right here?
Beets.
This could be the last
run of the season.
I ain't never run beets,
but we're gonna put them
in the pot, see what they do.
Keep the pecans falling.
We just got to figure out how
we can pull this flavor off.
You know, during his pandemic
we've done pretty good
as far as selling this good
clean alcohol that we're
running off, but we're
sitting in a position
now that we can get a little
something out there that's
different and people can enjoy.
MAN: Well, by God, we got
a smoker full of pecans,
don't we?
This is how we
make the moonshine.
Tell you, my back
end feel like it's
getting squirrelly already.
Yeah, this one is sliding.
TICKLE: Yes, sir.
Slip sliding on the--
TICKLE: Yeah, she's getting
all over the damn place.
NARRATOR: In Franklin
County, Virginia,
changing seasons means
changing still sites
for Tickle, Henry, and Kenny.
We ain't even got into the
woods yet, and we're stuck.
I didn't realize
it rained that much.
It's come to the point in time
to break this still site down.
Leaves are gonna be
falling off the trees.
Hunters are fixing
to be coming in.
Yeah, we still got to make
a lot of liquor this year,
but the last thing we want to
do is get busted by the law.
Where do we even
start at here, boys?
I'm thinking we should get
the most expensive stuff,
take it on the first run.
The caps, all the
crossover pipes, the worm.
This is just in
the way right now.
I'll just go ahead and move
some of the barrels over there.
A large
We've got all this
equipment to move out.
TICKLE: Should come
right on out of there.
[grunting]
HENRY: We load everything up.
Only thing left is the boiler.
TICKLE: All right, set her down.
Here you go.
HENRY: We start
draining everything.
Shh, I thought
I heard something.
I see somebody walking.
Just-- let's get this thing out
and get the hell out of here.
Yeah.
This guy had blaze orange on,
so I figured he was a hunter.
We lose a lot of still
sites by hunters.
TICKLE: All right,
let's get out of here.
We knew we were
gonna have to leave
this still site eventually.
And Henry, being the
true moonshiner he is,
he's already got his
eye on another sit.
So we're gonna drop the
truck off with all our steel
parts on it at Henry's
house, and we're gonna go
check this new still site out.
HENRY: A buddy of
mine owns the land.
He gave me permission
to go in there.
I think it's an
amazing site, but I
want to make sure, because
we're gonna be here for a while.
You know, we've got a lot
of liquor we've got to make.
TICKLE: It's right in
between a river and a road,
so there's not gonna be
any hunters right here.
So we know nobody's gonna
walk up on our still site.
There's an old
bridge across here.
It was just built
all out of rock.
HENRY: Yep.
KENNY: I'll be dogged.
HENRY: So see these pillars?
I'm thinking put a couple of
beams here, a little roof.
You put a still and
everything up underneath it.
From the other side,
we'll camo this so it
can't be seen from the river.
TICKLE: This is
the perfect place.
What we're gonna do is
basically extend this
like we're building a bridge.
That's 10 foot right here.
So in essence, we're
gonna be the trolls making
moonshine under the bridge.
HENRY: Yeah, and once the
lower end's right here,
we can keep our barrels
and stuff over here,
and keep the still
over here where we
need a little more head room.
TICKLE: We won't be able
to have no operation
like what we've got, but--
HENRY: Right.
--in the wintertime,
do we really
need an operation like that?
This still site is too small
for this great big steamer rig
that we've got, but
we're gonna have
all the room we need in here
to run a lot of good liquor.
So right now, it's ass and
elbows, or it's nothing at all.
That's a lot of work, man.
I tell you what.
I can probably call Josh, and
Josh can come up and help.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
Let me give him a call and
see what he says about it.
Josh builds still sites
in all different shapes,
forms, and fashions.
He builds them underground.
He's built plenty
with roofs on them.
So who better to call than Josh?
JOSH: [ON PHONE] Hello.
Hey, Josh.
How's it going?
JOSH: [ON PHONE]
What's going on, buddy?
Uh, well, we down
here in the woods
looking to build
a new still site.
Would it be possible
for you to come
up here and give us a hand?
JOSH: [ON PHONE] If you would
give me a day or two to get
these stills running, I'll--
I'll be glad to come up.
Sounds good.
We could sure use it.
TICKLE: Sounds good.
JOSH: [ON PHONE]
All right, buddy.
Let me finish what I got
going, and I'll see y'all soon.
- All right, we'll see you.
- Good deal.
That-- that'll work.
All right, y'all
got the management?
TICKLE: Yes, sir.
10 by 16.
HENRY: All right.
TICKLE: We're going
ahead and build this.
Now the whole barrel's
empty now, isn't it?
Yeah, I bet there ain't
two gallon left back there.
MARK: No.
NARRATOR: One state
south, in Graham county,
North Carolina, after eight
weeks of running shine
with friends facing
hard times in the hills,
Mark and Huck head homeward
to start a moneymaking run
before the cold sets in.
We've just run the
last bit of our mash.
We've got to--
HUCK: Who's that?
This you, Vance?
OK, well, we'll be
out in a little while.
We'll come by and
check you out there.
10-4.
[inaudible]
HUCK: All right, we'll go see.
Back early in the season, me
and my dad, we run some liquor.
I'm sure glad you come up
here to do this with me.
Well, I won't see if you
know what you're doing.
You could slip a
bad run in on a man.
We'll do you right.
It's about the
end of the season.
We've been on the
road a long time,
and we ain't got much money.
So we're just gonna have to
sell more liquor, you know?
Get what money we can and
scratch us out a living.
So you got something
you want to show us.
Yeah.
Come on, and I'll show you.
What do you think about
this stuff right here?
Beets.
VANCE: Yeah, the restaurants
are closed down a lot,
and they couldn't
sell all of them.
I've heard of them
making vodka out of them.
MARK: Oh, it'll make liquor.
HUCK: Oh, it'll make liquor.
Just don't know
how it'll taste.
But shoot, we'll take 'em.
Ain't never run beets, but
we're gonna put them in the pot
and see what they do.
You know, I think I might
just help you boys run a little.
How's that?
Yeah.
This'll be the last
run for the season.
I'd rather run with old
Huck and Vance than anybody.
VANCE: I don't know one thing.
A man's insides will be
red if he drinks so much.
Yeah.
Vance, he's an old timer, and
it's good to have him out here.
You know, he's always got
you laughing about something,
you know?
I may have a few.
HUCK: You're awful skinny.
VANCE: Yeah, I know it.
NARRATOR: Root
vegetables like beets
are one of the few crops that
can grow in the mountains
of North Carolina.
Despite their tough
exterior, beets
are surprisingly
sweet, packed with as
much natural sugars as peaches.
MARK: They've been
boiling a long time.
Let me see here.
Yeah, they're soft enough.
I know one thing
about the beets--
they're gonna make
a lot of alcohol.
Should I throw this?
Hell no, don't throw it.
It may blow up.
NARRATOR: In Sevier County,
Tennessee, after getting
kicked off their still site
at the peak of their season,
Mike and Jerry rebuild
in a new location
to get back in business.
MIKE: This is mine
and J's first run
at the brand new still site.
We're really excited.
Here we've got a mixture
of oats and barley here.
Got it worked off real good.
We've got to get this
stuff pumped over,
go ahead, and break
this new site in.
Here she goes.
You know, we can mention
anything we want to,
but when it comes to
this column still,
you're not gonna have
much flavor at all,
because this thing
is designed to make
good, clean, neutral
spirits to mix with anything
you want to mix with it.
You know, me and
Jerry, we've done
pretty well this year selling
our regular clear alcohol.
People like it.
Ready to fire up?
When you're ready.
All right, going for the first
time at the new site, baby.
I believe this calls
for a good stiff drink.
Couple hours, we'll
have one for sure.
You know, I got something in
the damn truck we can drink.
- Oh, do you?
- Hell yes.
Some good stuff, too, papa.
JERRY: Break her out.
Let's get started.
MIKE: [VOICEOVER] You know,
before the pandemic come around
and all this crap
hit the fan, I had
old timer to get up with me,
and he wanted to trade out.
He had this bottle.
He home-made this stuff.
And so I traded him a
couple of good clean jars
of liquor for this.
You talk about something good,
something that I really like.
[chuckles]
- What do you got there?
It's amaretto.
JERRY: Looks like a
doggone dark whiskey.
MIKE: It's good man,
I'm telling you.
That is good.
It's got a lot of
unique flavors to it.
MIKE: I know it's got almonds,
peach pits, and stuff in it.
Kind of got good liqueur.
Like a liqueur, exactly right.
The flavor's so
good that I would
like to put something
like that out there, man,
for-- for people, you know?
Don't have to taste
identical to this,
but I want it to be as good.
You see what I'm saying?
JERRY: Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
MIKE: You know,
during this pandemic,
we've done pretty
good as far selling
as this good, clean alcohol
that we're running off.
Mighty damn.
It's good, man.
But we're not all about
just trying to make money.
We're sitting in a
position now that we
can get a little something out
there that's different, tastes
good, and people can enjoy.
The real base of this
stuff is the almonds.
I wonder if we can make
something near damn close
to that good a damn taste,
say, maybe with pecans.
You know, where I come
from in Mississippi,
we made *bleep* out of
pecans all the time.
We're in the
mountains of Tennessee.
Where we gonna pecans at?
Pecan trees grow
here, too, just
like the damn walnut trees do.
Hm.
Get this run knocked out,
we'll go get us a bucket full.
That's exactly right.
We got to get the liquor
run on first, don't we?
JERRY: Yeah, she
won't be long now.
There she flies.
JERRY: How's it smell?
It smells good.
It smells hot.
Let's have us a horn of
this good stuff over here.
[groans] This amaretto
is very complex.
I can taste cherry in it.
You taste the almond nuttiness,
the bitterness in it.
It almost tastes like he's got
a roasted coffee bean in it
somewhere.
Damn that's fine.
That'll make your sticker
peck out right there.
You know, we are
moonshiners, and we
like to think outside the box
and come up with something
creative, you know?
Get out of their heads.
Oh, it's good and clean now.
Yeah, I'll chuck it.
We're running a clean neutral
spirit from oats and barley
today.
It virtually has no
taste whatsoever,
so we're gonna be
able to infuse flavors
through this alcohol to make
it taste like we want it.
I think I like it too damn good.
JERRY: Mhm.
Why don't you sit down
there a little bit?
You spaz.
You ass-lick.
In Mississippi, my grandma
used to roast down pecans.
You talking about good?
If you can extract
the oils out of it
to infuse it with our alcohol,
that'd be some damn good stuff.
JERRY: About ready to
swap her out, ain't we?
There we go.
We're gonna have to
do a little research
and development on this.
I mean, I'm sure there's gonna
be a lot of trial and error,
but, you know, hey, that's the
way the first rocket was built.
Don't you want
you another sip?
Open your damn mouth.
- [inaudible]
- Open up.
- [inaudible]
You know, we're
gonna yield about 15
gallons today here on this run.
And tomorrow, we're gonna
go find some pecans to pick.
Looks like we're about
full here, Jerry.
This is the end of the road.
Let the pressure off.
Woo!
[laughs]
Damn pecans.
That's gonna make
some damn good liquor.
NARRATOR: Coming up--
You see the oil?
That's where you get
all your flavor out of.
If we can get all
the oils and stuff
extracted out of
these pecans, it's
gonna pack a powerful punch.
JERRY: There's plenty
of flavor in that nut.
MIKE: Yeah, that's
what she said.
JERRY: Why didn't I not
figure that was coming?
What we doing, old boy?
HENRY: Joshua.
Good to see you boys.
Good to see you, too.
Bring it on, John.
What's up, buddy?
[inaudible] been on the road.
What y'all got going on?
I was gonna say, what you got
on the back of the truck there?
I brought you boys a
little-- a little present,
a little surprise.
NARRATOR: In Franklin County,
Virginia, Carolina shiner Josh,
makes a late season trip
to help Tickle and the Laws
build a sheltered site, and
he brings a taste of home.
Wow.
JOSH: Oh, yeah.
Those'll do, won't they?
- Mhm.
You know, that's the good
thing about having a still site
in an apple orchard.
They finished all
their picking, and I've
had apples coming out my ears.
I just figured I'd
hook you boys up.
Even though I make brandies
and stuff, these guys,
they're experts at everything
that they got going on.
So I figured with the damn
season drawing to the end,
I figured I'd bring
in some apples.
Juicy.
That'll make some whiskey.
That'll make some whiskey.
Those'll work.
- Good.
I think they'll do the job.
We've got something else we'd
like for you to look at, too.
What you got?
Josh, everybody
knows he's a master
of disguise, underground
ground outfits and all.
And what we're
getting ready to build
is not completely underground,
but it's enough for me
to have a little bit of concern.
We get to the spot
we found, and we're
gonna come in here like this.
Now, this is all rock.
You know, I'm not much
of an artist, but--
and there's some pillars,
some huge round pillars
where the bridge came across.
And the bridge is gone.
What do you mean bridge?
There was a bridge
across the river.
KENNY: Yeah, oh, a long time ago
a bridge went across the river.
Yeah.
I see this--
this was a bridge,
goes across here, and this is
the river flowing underneath.
HENRY: Exactly.
Exactly.
JOSH: OK.
- We've got to put a roof on it.
We've got to put a tent on it.
Josh knows what will support it
a whole lot better than we do.
So I'm hoping I can get him
down and help me build it.
Do you have a plan on how
exactly are you're gonna--
what you're going to use?
Well, it's about 16 foot span.
KENNY: That's right.
JOSH: How far?
16 or 18 foot.
KENNY: About 16 foot.
So we're gonna have
to scab some lumber.
Yeah, because we
don't have anything.
Right here's what we've got.
JOSH: It's pretty flattering
that Henry, and Kenny,
and Tickle would have me
out here helping them,
and ask me for any advice on
anything making moonshine.
HENRY: I'm thinking
we're probably
gonna have to put maybe three
together with these short ones,
but then if we can
use that aluminum top.
KENNY: I believe it'll hold.
No more weight than
we're gonna be putting
on these things, it'll be fine.
We'll just scab them all
together, slap this thing
together, and it'll be fine.
The spot we got is
small, so we're gonna have
to go with a smaller still.
We've got a little
small submarine still.
You want to take a look at it?
Yeah, I don't mind
helping you do all this,
but Tickle's the carpenter.
Where the heck is he at?
He's a master carpenter, but
he's got other talents, too.
You'll see when he gets back.
Yeah, we're gonna
have plenty of help.
We're gonna get that
son of mine, Paige.
Yeah.
Sort of introduce him
to this building part.
[interposing voices]
KENNY: It ain't really--
it really ain't that big.
What we've got to
build ain't that big.
Paige is a good worker.
Man, it's great Josh is here.
We've got him helping us.
I'm bringing my son,
Paige, in to help us.
This pot that I'm using,
it's about two inches
of burn on the bottom of it.
The sides are still good.
So all we're doing is
replacing the bottom.
You know, this was a
buddy of mine's still.
He-- he died.
Accidentally got shot and died.
We always salvage
whatever we can.
We use sides.
We don't throw anything away.
We've got the top for it.
We just don't have
the bottom for it.
When that stuff
scorches on the bottom,
that doesn't want to come
off no matter what you do.
Won't come off.
This still that we're gonna
use is a buddy of mine's.
He was real close to me.
We were like brothers, and
he was accidentally shot.
It killed him.
And his wife came
to me and said,
Henry, Flutie, had
this still, and he
wanted you to have it if
anything ever happened to him.
And it's dear to me.
It's real dear to
me, and I can't
wait to use this--
fire the still up
and use it just
in memory of him.
Hey, look right
here at the damage.
Oh, it almost burnt this
side completely out on it.
JOSH: Mhm.
KENNY: Fire coming through.
HENRY: Yeah, when
this block came out,
the fire was probably
looping over.
It started to get into
the side a little bit.
You can see the charcoal.
Come on.
Check this bad boy out.
Hell yeah.
We've got us a pot.
Now that our still
is built, we're
gonna move it on in
to the still site
and get ready to rock and roll.
Well, I believe
we got us a pot now.
HENRY: And as far as
Tickle, I can't wait
to see what he's got going on.
I'm gonna take you
to your tank, Jackson.
The infamous Tickle.
- How's it going, boss?
- What's going on, brother.
Good to see you?
- Good to see you.
I got what you asked for here.
I got a little
something for you, too.
We got sausage, chorizo.
I got bratwurst and ham steaks.
Look how dark red that meat is.
TICKLE: Mm.
I tell you what, that sounds
like a fair trade for this.
Think about that right yonder.
Got a good bead
on her, don't she?
Hoo, doggie.
That's some fine
shine right here.
Yes, sir.
That'll do it, won't it?
Well, I'll tell you what.
I know people in my world.
I'm interested in knowing
the people in your world now.
I know all kinds
of barbecue icons
in all the different
regions of flavor.
And these guys, they're
not in magazines.
They don't have restaurants.
Every back road around
here's got a barbecue.
And I know the inroads
to get to all of them.
This looks like a start
of a beautiful friendship
to me, Tank.
MIKE: We'll get up
under these trees good.
I'd say we'll get all we need.
NARRATOR: Across the state
line in Sevier County,
Tennessee, Mike and Jerry are
harvesting pecans to flavor
a new amaretto inspired recipe.
You know, there's not a
whole damn lot of pecan trees
in Tennessee, but I do know
where there's a small grove
down by the river.
I tell you what, this
is the right time
of the year for them.
So you don't want to take
these green ones right here.
They're still encased
in their hull.
When they turn brown,
they'll open up
and actually drop the nut out
of the hull, like these right
here.
One of the reasons I know
a good bit about pecans
is that I grew up
in Mississippi,
and we spent a lot of
our time gathering up
them pecans for pies, and that
was a big staple down there,
you know?
- Yeah.
And, well, it
still is to this day.
NARRATOR: Nuts have been used
to flavor alcohol for centuries.
Medieval monks made the
first alcoholic liqueurs,
secretly blending
herbs, nuts, seeds,
and even tree bark to make
their potent concoctions.
Amaretto was born in Italy,
made from the bitter kernels of
almonds, apricots, and peaches.
When broken down, the bitter
component in these kernels
produces both toxic
cyanide, most of which
is eliminated
during distillation,
and benzaldehyde, the
organic compound that gives
amaretto its nutty flavor.
Watch this right here.
Look at the pecans falling.
Right in my bucket.
Caught one, didn't you?
Tell you what, right now
I'm feeling very lucky.
Look at them, man.
They're just all
over the damn place.
Because, you know, pecan
trees, every single year
they don't bare.
You'll have a real good year.
Then you'll have a
year where they only
have a handful of nuts on them.
We just got to figure out how
we can pull this flavor off.
Exactly.
These little jokers here
is gonna be hard to get in,
but they got a flavor
like none other, though.
Anything harder to get in
always seems to be better.
Those are really good.
Yeah, I just hope we can
make it good in some alcohol.
You know, with everything
going on today,
any time we can get
something for free,
it's a win-win for us.
We don't have to go out,
spend our hard earned money.
And we can still make
top shelf premium
liquor for half the damn price.
What are you doing sitting down
eating the damn pecans for?
Because they're
pretty damn good.
He's just like
a damn squirrel.
All the time wanting to gnaw
on some nuts some-damn-where.
From the ground to
hand to the jar, baby.
If you went to the grocery
store and bought 10 gallons
of pecans, even
unshelled, this would
be hundreds of dollars
worth of pecans,
and we got them for free.
So what do you
got on your mind
as far as extracting flavors?
Well, I don't know quite yet.
I've never made an alcohol
flavored with any kind of nut.
Me, personally,
all I've ever done
was gather them, busted
them, and eat the bastards.
JERRY: Yeah.
MIKE: My grandma and
them was the one that
done all the candies and pies.
We've got to come up with
how we're gonna do this.
I mean, you see the oil.
I mean, that just about
dripped off my finger now.
When you smell that
oil, that's where
you get all your flavor out of.
Well, we just need to
get the flavor to it.
I'm thinking we make an
extract more or less.
MIKE: Extract.
That way it won't
take a whole lot.
MIKE: Get us a good
flavor profile going on.
I tell you what.
If we could get all these busted
and get all the oils and stuff
extracted out of
these pecans, it's
gonna pack a powerful punch.
There's plenty of
flavor in that nut.
MIKE: Yeah, that's
what she said.
JERRY: Why did I not
figure that was coming.
NARRATOR: Coming up.
We'll put some
brown sugar in there.
Making his barbecue
sauce up-- it's
a whole lot like mashing in.
You got to have the
right ingredients
and the right procedure for
everything to come out perfect.
There is one more ingredient--
some 100 proof rye.
That's what puts the
kick in it right there.
MIKE: Oh, damn.
All right, set her down.
*bleep*
Might need a hand up on it.
Before we create an extract
out of these pecans,
we decided we're gonna lay
them out on cookie sheets,
smoke them, and try to
infuse that type of flavor
into our alcohol.
Well, by god, we've got
a smoker full of pecans,
don't we?
People love eating
smoked pecans.
When you pass a little
smoke through anything,
it's delicious.
It adds another
whole depth of flavor
to whatever you're preparing.
I'm actually using
pecan wood pellets
that are made from the limbs
of the pecan trees, which
has that nutty, smoky
flavor to them, as well.
It's already smelling good.
You damn think it's
gonna be delicious, man,
with that smoke
rolling through it.
You know it.
[sniffing]
Damn, that smells
good, don't it?
Smells like a dang popcorn.
MIKE: It does
smell like popcorn.
I'm gonna tell you what.
If we can catch that smoke
and pump it in the jar-
MIKE: That'd be the damn
thing to do, wouldn't it?
How do we get the smoke
into the damn alcohol.
Just pump it in there,
or blow it in there.
You think it'll really
damn work for us, or?
All right, get this.
Did you ever sit by a campfire?
All the time.
What did your clothes
smell like the next morning?
Fire.
Smoke.
Wood.
Well, the smell's there.
I would say it might attract
to the jar, the glass, the--
The liquor.
The liquor.
The water that's in
the liquor, you know?
It's got to collect
a little bit.
We can try it.
We'll rig up
something, pump it over
in there while they're smoking.
Me and Jerry, we've already
got the alcohol run.
Man, we got a neutral
grain spirit here.
So we'd like to
experiment to see if we
can make a good tasting drink.
You want the lid?
JERRY: Yeah, hand
me the whole tote.
The whole tote.
The whole tote.
We're gonna try
to trap the smoke
and induce it into
the alcohol itself.
And so we'll just cut a
hole right here in this tote.
Damn, Jerry, you just ain't
another pretty face, are you?
Mm-mm.
Drop that over that.
Snap her in.
Look at you go, boy.
Got an air mattress pump.
This is designed to go on
a mattress so you can--
this would be the intake.
Then just turn it on.
That blows the air out of it.
Let me fire this bad boy up.
Come out our hose.
Oh, it is coming out of there.
Look at that.
JERRY: [inaudible].
MIKE: Look.
There's just smoke
coming out of there.
MIKE: My god, that's got a real
aroma to it, don't it, bubba?
It smells even better
coming out of the alcohol
than it does out of here.
Hell yes, you can
taste the smoke in it.
Smoke is there.
It is there for sure.
I'll be dadgummed.
MIKE: You can taste
it, can't you?
That's got a good subtle--
good subtle smokey taste to it.
MIKE: It does.
It's almost between
a cross-- a cross
from popcorn and good liquor.
MIKE: Yeah.
[laughter]
I'm telling you.
Pretty much makes it taste
like an aged alcohol,
but it's not colored.
It's like you've
poured your whiskey
over into a charred barrel.
Take them nuts and squeeze
that oil out of them.
Few drops of that in each jar.
Man, I think that'd
be about top shelf.
We got to start.
We've got something in
the alcohol right now.
You can actually take a shot
of that liquor and enjoy it.
I'm gonna get drunk
on smoked liquor.
MARK: Look at that bubble
with the head on it there.
VANCE: Hell yeah.
NARRATOR: In Graham
County, North Carolina,
after teaming up
with Mark's dad,
Vance, Mark and
Huck are attempting
to turn 400 pounds
of free surplus beets
into a late season payday.
MARK: We ain't never
run beets before.
In this run of liquor, we're
gonna put them in a pot
and see what they do.
Oh, yeah.
That's right.
That's right.
Back when I
started, son, you had
to watch what you was doing.
- Yeah.
- You'd be on the chain gang.
- Yeah.
I still don't want
to get caught.
No, but I mean back
then they'd come hunt you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, boy.
There she comes.
There you go.
That's some old head.
Throw it away.
MARK: That's right.
HUCK: I'll tell you what.
If you just want to get drunk--
I mean blistered-- that
right there would do it.
MARK: Let me see that.
HUCK: Tell me what you think.
It's about the alcohol.
VANCE: I'll tell you what.
You know what?
MARK: There's a lot
little strange taste there
that people don't recognize.
You can taste a
little hint of a beet,
but it takes that earthy taste.
If you like beets,
you'd probably like it.
And if you don't, you might not.
But a lot of people just--
if you give them a drink
before you sold it to
them, I don't think they
would buy it, a lot of them.
To sell this stuff, a
fella might need to had
a little something to it.
He might.
I don't know what
we're gonna do,
but we've got to figure
out how to sell this liquor
is all I know.
HUCK: What do you think?
We'll need three buckets, or?
MARK: We might.
NARRATOR: Deep in the mountains
of western North Carolina, Mark
and Huck are trying to salvage
a 30 gallon run of beet vodka
using an old time
flavoring trick.
HUCK: It's lucky that
we had these pears.
Daddy Law, he sure took
care of these old trees.
VANCE: He's passed
away and gone,
but he's still helping us out.
My father-in-law
had these pear trees,
and apple trees, and stuff.
They've all got a
real good flavor.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
That ought to flavor
two runs, aren't it?
MARK: Yeah.
VANCE: My boy's back again.
HUCK: Back again, Vance.
Yeah, light it.
VANCE: Yeah, we're nearly full.
HUCK: It will make your
hands sticky, won't it?
Yeah, that's a lot of juice
in them pears, you know?
HUCK: They are.
MARK: We just put the
pears in the mash.
It's gonna strip most
of the taste out of it.
So we're gonna to put
it in the thumper.
You get a better taste on
the other end that way.
HUCK: Let's go.
All we got to do is
just wait on it now.
VANCE: And how'd that ever
turn out, you was on the road?
MARK: Well, I'm just glad we got
to help some of our old buddies
out, and it changed things up.
But we've had a lot of fun.
Oh, yeah.
MARK: And I ain't kidding you.
So I'm glad we done it.
VANCE: Yeah, man.
MARK: I ain't kidding you.
About the end of the season.
Time to change my way of living.
The next three, four
months, you know,
I'll be in the woods hunting.
We need to sell this liquor
to survive till next season.
Boy, that's running.
HUCK: It is, ain't it?
[interposing voices]
HUCK: Cut them heads
off there, Vance.
Boy, it's got a good smell.
Yeah.
MARK: Getting cool, anyway.
VANCE: Yeah, that'll do it.
It'll proof itself
down [inaudible]..
[groans]
VANCE: You're getting
a pretty good bead.
HUCK: Yeah.
MARK: Yeah.
It's about proofed to sell.
Well, he lives
way back, don't he?
Yeah, boy.
No.
That's love liquor there, huh?
You are good friend.
I believe we done good.
What do you think?
I know we did.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
[laughter]
Josh ought to be on the way.
I don't want to be standing on
the side of this road too long.
People see us.
Yeah.
There he is.
HENRY: Winter time's coming on.
We found his site.
It's beautiful.
All we got to do is
just build it in.
Camo it up.
I made it.
I made it.
What's up, Mr Paige?
With Josh and my
oldest son, Paige,
we should be able
to get the job done.
Let's get her done.
All right.
HENRY: We'll take
this lumber here
we built right over
the river and make
liquor all winter long.
Make winter all liquor long.
Yep.
Yep.
Make winter all liquor long.
So let's get some lumber out.
We start building.
I got it.
TICKLE: We get screws,
chain saw, drills,
and that little sawhorse.
Right here, Paige.
All right, now let's take
one of them four foot pieces
and put it right here.
Josh, you lose a
finger like that.
[laughter]
TICKLE: All right, while y'all
are doing that, I'm gonna mark
another one of these four foot.
[saw buzzing]
All right, you know what?
I think about hungry.
Josh, give me a hand with
this thing over here.
I knew today was going
to be a very long day.
What part of
the still is that?
It's a smoker.
This thing runs like one of
the old wood fired stills.
I decided to bring my
smoker out here and really
feed these boys good.
Let me get a fire going.
I've had a lot of
chances this year
to reflect on the shared history
of barbecue and moonshine.
All right, here we go.
There's a whole lot
of similarities there,
and this year I really
took it upon myself
to go out and cook with
some of the best pit
masters in the
country, and really
learn a whole lot more about
moonshine and barbecue history.
When you start smoking
you out real bad,
you know you're getting close.
And one of my favorite things
to smoke up on the grill
is good old country
style pork ribs.
If I'm gonna cook ribs, I got
to make some barbecue sauce.
HENRY: Get on the
other side, Paige.
KENNY: Paige is strong
as a damn bull ox.
HENRY: So this'll be fourth
generation right here.
Fourth generation moonshiner.
My oldest son, Paige--
he's 18 now-- and I'm dying
to hand down this tradition.
My dad taught me.
His dad taught him.
Hand it to me, Paige.
Now I've got the
opportunity to teach
my son it's more
to making liquor
than mashing and making liquor.
You got to learn
how to build a site.
That's as important
is making liquor.
All right, we're in.
Starting out
with tomato sauce.
All right.
Making this barbecue
sauce up, it's
a whole lot like mashing in.
We put some brown
sugar in there.
You got to melt all
that sugar in just
like when we're making shine.
You got to have the
right ingredients
in the right order in the
right procedure for everything
to come out perfect.
And there is one more
ingredient, some 100 proof rye.
It's got sweet
white corn in there,
so you got pepper on the
front and sweet on the back.
All right, oh, I can
smell that already.
That's what puts the
kick in it right there.
For the roof, we
can build some rafters
around through here.
Let me check out
these boards that we
laid out here and see if that's
what you was talking about.
When you get four
or five men together
that know what
they're doing, I mean,
you get some work done fast.
That ain't too bad, really.
Let's take another one these,
Paige, and see if it'll reach.
Yeah, right there.
I'm just about starving.
Yeah, I could use a little
something to eat myself.
TICKLE: All right,
that's a good start.
Can't have good barbecue
without some good smoke.
All right, let's get
some ribs on here.
Oh, yeah.
Got to love that sound.
And we'll give them some room
to breathe where the smoke
can wrap around them evenly.
All right.
Boy, them things
look good right here.
All right.
Well, I reckon I can go see
if these boys need a hand.
That's gonna take several
hours right there.
All right, fellas, I got sauce
made and meat on the grill.
What kind of meat?
I'm about starved, boy.
Country style pork ribs.
I've never had
barbecued ribs in a still.
I might ought to stop.
I'm spoiling you.
No, you work better when
your belly's full, don't you?
I don't know.
I tend to take a
nap when I get full.
[laughter]
Yeah.
Yeah.
[laughter]
HENRY: Yeah, let's get this
mesh on the still site.
KENNY: You can slide it
all the way down here.
Hey, Paige, pull this
on back this way.
Yeah.
KENNY: There you go.
We got the build finished.
Now we're gonna have to do
a whole lot of camo work.
That's pretty
good on this side.
We've got some camouflage
netting and leaves.
Just camouflaging
it really nice.
It looks good.
Here is where the
magic's gonna happen.
We have a still
under here camo-ed up.
We're going with a
small outfit, too,
so small space right here
with that half price liquor
is all we need.
Tell you what, fellas, I'm
gonna go check them ribs out,
see what they're looking like.
About the time Henry, Kenny, and
Josh is putting the finishing
touches on the
still site, the ribs
is ready to come out
off of the grill.
All right.
Well, it looks mighty good.
TICKLE: Yes, sir.
What do you think of that?
Y'all can't have any.
Now that Josh has
helped us build this site,
it's time that we
turn our attention
to a winter project,
something maybe a little
bit smaller batch.
Also, we've got
to figure out what
the hell we're gonna do
with all these apples
that Josh brought us.
Who taught you how to cook?
The penitentiary.
Well [laughs] my daddy told
me one time that I was so darn
ugly I better learn to cook.
I might find a woman
to do it for me.
But luckily, I found me one.
[laughter]
Oh, yeah, looky, looky here.
They're nice and
caramelized, Jerry.
We've got to do something
creative here to try to get
these oils out of these pecans.
JERRY: Get her welded together.
Yeah.
Jerry come up with
the idea to say, well,
let's-- let's just press the
oil out of them to extract
all that oil, and we can get the
most amount as we possibly can.
That'll do it?
I believe so, bubba.
You know, I have
a hydraulic press.
Woo-wee!
Just had to homemake
a press and jig.
And if we can just get some
oils out of them pecans,
we'll be in high damn
cotton, won't we?
Load that bad boy up, Jerry.
All right, here we go.
Come on, baby.
JERRY: Looky there, looky there.
All right, baby.
We got oil.
That's a pale oil, won't it?
JERRY: We got it
running out the back.
[whooping] We got
oils coming out!
Holy damn.
Taste it.
Mm, damn almighty,
that is fine, boy.
Oh my god, dude,
that is phenomenal.
I could just about
drink that by itself.
It's got kind of a
smoky, burnt, nutty--
MIKE: Nutty.
--flavor to it.
I don't feel like we're gonna
have to add a whole lot per jar
of alcohol to get this flavor,
because this oil is, I mean,
super concentrated.
Damn.
That is a--
JERRY: Is a pecan
pancake right there.
MIKE: It's almost dry.
Feel it.
Well, yeah.
Here we go.
Tells all.
I'd say that's about enough
for a taste, ain't it?
Yeah.
Give's room to shake.
Ain't no need in
wasting something
if it ain't gonna turn out.
[inaudible] pout
it from [inaudible]..
We got to be
careful with this oil,
because we don't want to mix
too much and just overpower it.
It's just-- it's
got to be there,
but yet it's got to be
a drink of liquor you
want to take a good
shot of and have
that flavor on the back note.
It tastes like pecan.
It's got the smoked
flavor in it.
Really damn good.
I like-- try it.
That's crazy, ain't it?
MIKE: It's in there, ain't it?
Oh, it's here.
MIKE: In there like
a hair in a biscuit.
JERRY: I love it.
I think it's great.
It's even got that little bit
of a chary taste to it, as well.
I never thought we'd
ever accomplish it.
Right there it is.
But I'm-- I'm tickled
to death with it.
I mean, I like it.
I'm satisfied with it.
Yeah, man.
You know what the damn
main goal is here today?
Me and Jerry's pulled this off.
We figured out how to put
pecan flavor into alcohol,
and we nailed it down.
JERRY: Just want to make sure we
get all that oil off the bottom
there.
MIKE: [gasps]
JERRY: Damn.
MIKE: Damn, you spilling
our damn oil, Jerry.
That damn jar is
slipperier than *bleep*,, son.
Oh, I'd say it is.
It's got oil on it.
JERRY: That was costly, huh?
MIKE: Yeah.
Man, you clumsy
today, ain't you?
JERRY: Tell you what.
NARRATOR: Next time
on "Moonshiners."
Hate to drive all over east
Tennessee trying to find jars.
A jar shortage
to a moonshiner is
about as desperate as it gets.
We've committed 1,500 jars
of expired mayonnaise.
This is the messiest
*bleep* that I've ever
fooled with in my life.
This ain't fishing.
We've got to come up
with another plan.
Thinking of something
new, 400 years ago,
this guy, Thorpe, he made the
first whiskey in North America.
You're talking about
the first alcohol
that was distilled in America.
I want to recreate what
he did 400 years ago.
This is something special.
It's an expedition
back in history.
What would be
the chance you have
tomato paste and lemon juice?
Yeah, what the hell do
we need down with tomato
paste and lemon juice for?
I've heard of this
recipe called birdwatchers.
[laughs]
Slicing tomatoes.
[inaudible]
[laughs]
time on "Moonshiners."
See these pillars?
I'm thinking put a couple
of beams here, little roof.
Tell you what--
We'll camo this so it can't
be seen from that river.
This is the perfect place.
That's 10 foot right here.
We're gonna be the trolls making
moonshine under the bridge.
Now you got something
you want to show us?
What do you think about
this stuff right here?
Beets.
This could be the last
run of the season.
I ain't never run beets,
but we're gonna put them
in the pot, see what they do.
Keep the pecans falling.
We just got to figure out how
we can pull this flavor off.
You know, during his pandemic
we've done pretty good
as far as selling this good
clean alcohol that we're
running off, but we're
sitting in a position
now that we can get a little
something out there that's
different and people can enjoy.
MAN: Well, by God, we got
a smoker full of pecans,
don't we?
This is how we
make the moonshine.
Tell you, my back
end feel like it's
getting squirrelly already.
Yeah, this one is sliding.
TICKLE: Yes, sir.
Slip sliding on the--
TICKLE: Yeah, she's getting
all over the damn place.
NARRATOR: In Franklin
County, Virginia,
changing seasons means
changing still sites
for Tickle, Henry, and Kenny.
We ain't even got into the
woods yet, and we're stuck.
I didn't realize
it rained that much.
It's come to the point in time
to break this still site down.
Leaves are gonna be
falling off the trees.
Hunters are fixing
to be coming in.
Yeah, we still got to make
a lot of liquor this year,
but the last thing we want to
do is get busted by the law.
Where do we even
start at here, boys?
I'm thinking we should get
the most expensive stuff,
take it on the first run.
The caps, all the
crossover pipes, the worm.
This is just in
the way right now.
I'll just go ahead and move
some of the barrels over there.
A large
We've got all this
equipment to move out.
TICKLE: Should come
right on out of there.
[grunting]
HENRY: We load everything up.
Only thing left is the boiler.
TICKLE: All right, set her down.
Here you go.
HENRY: We start
draining everything.
Shh, I thought
I heard something.
I see somebody walking.
Just-- let's get this thing out
and get the hell out of here.
Yeah.
This guy had blaze orange on,
so I figured he was a hunter.
We lose a lot of still
sites by hunters.
TICKLE: All right,
let's get out of here.
We knew we were
gonna have to leave
this still site eventually.
And Henry, being the
true moonshiner he is,
he's already got his
eye on another sit.
So we're gonna drop the
truck off with all our steel
parts on it at Henry's
house, and we're gonna go
check this new still site out.
HENRY: A buddy of
mine owns the land.
He gave me permission
to go in there.
I think it's an
amazing site, but I
want to make sure, because
we're gonna be here for a while.
You know, we've got a lot
of liquor we've got to make.
TICKLE: It's right in
between a river and a road,
so there's not gonna be
any hunters right here.
So we know nobody's gonna
walk up on our still site.
There's an old
bridge across here.
It was just built
all out of rock.
HENRY: Yep.
KENNY: I'll be dogged.
HENRY: So see these pillars?
I'm thinking put a couple of
beams here, a little roof.
You put a still and
everything up underneath it.
From the other side,
we'll camo this so it
can't be seen from the river.
TICKLE: This is
the perfect place.
What we're gonna do is
basically extend this
like we're building a bridge.
That's 10 foot right here.
So in essence, we're
gonna be the trolls making
moonshine under the bridge.
HENRY: Yeah, and once the
lower end's right here,
we can keep our barrels
and stuff over here,
and keep the still
over here where we
need a little more head room.
TICKLE: We won't be able
to have no operation
like what we've got, but--
HENRY: Right.
--in the wintertime,
do we really
need an operation like that?
This still site is too small
for this great big steamer rig
that we've got, but
we're gonna have
all the room we need in here
to run a lot of good liquor.
So right now, it's ass and
elbows, or it's nothing at all.
That's a lot of work, man.
I tell you what.
I can probably call Josh, and
Josh can come up and help.
Yeah, that's a good idea.
Let me give him a call and
see what he says about it.
Josh builds still sites
in all different shapes,
forms, and fashions.
He builds them underground.
He's built plenty
with roofs on them.
So who better to call than Josh?
JOSH: [ON PHONE] Hello.
Hey, Josh.
How's it going?
JOSH: [ON PHONE]
What's going on, buddy?
Uh, well, we down
here in the woods
looking to build
a new still site.
Would it be possible
for you to come
up here and give us a hand?
JOSH: [ON PHONE] If you would
give me a day or two to get
these stills running, I'll--
I'll be glad to come up.
Sounds good.
We could sure use it.
TICKLE: Sounds good.
JOSH: [ON PHONE]
All right, buddy.
Let me finish what I got
going, and I'll see y'all soon.
- All right, we'll see you.
- Good deal.
That-- that'll work.
All right, y'all
got the management?
TICKLE: Yes, sir.
10 by 16.
HENRY: All right.
TICKLE: We're going
ahead and build this.
Now the whole barrel's
empty now, isn't it?
Yeah, I bet there ain't
two gallon left back there.
MARK: No.
NARRATOR: One state
south, in Graham county,
North Carolina, after eight
weeks of running shine
with friends facing
hard times in the hills,
Mark and Huck head homeward
to start a moneymaking run
before the cold sets in.
We've just run the
last bit of our mash.
We've got to--
HUCK: Who's that?
This you, Vance?
OK, well, we'll be
out in a little while.
We'll come by and
check you out there.
10-4.
[inaudible]
HUCK: All right, we'll go see.
Back early in the season, me
and my dad, we run some liquor.
I'm sure glad you come up
here to do this with me.
Well, I won't see if you
know what you're doing.
You could slip a
bad run in on a man.
We'll do you right.
It's about the
end of the season.
We've been on the
road a long time,
and we ain't got much money.
So we're just gonna have to
sell more liquor, you know?
Get what money we can and
scratch us out a living.
So you got something
you want to show us.
Yeah.
Come on, and I'll show you.
What do you think about
this stuff right here?
Beets.
VANCE: Yeah, the restaurants
are closed down a lot,
and they couldn't
sell all of them.
I've heard of them
making vodka out of them.
MARK: Oh, it'll make liquor.
HUCK: Oh, it'll make liquor.
Just don't know
how it'll taste.
But shoot, we'll take 'em.
Ain't never run beets, but
we're gonna put them in the pot
and see what they do.
You know, I think I might
just help you boys run a little.
How's that?
Yeah.
This'll be the last
run for the season.
I'd rather run with old
Huck and Vance than anybody.
VANCE: I don't know one thing.
A man's insides will be
red if he drinks so much.
Yeah.
Vance, he's an old timer, and
it's good to have him out here.
You know, he's always got
you laughing about something,
you know?
I may have a few.
HUCK: You're awful skinny.
VANCE: Yeah, I know it.
NARRATOR: Root
vegetables like beets
are one of the few crops that
can grow in the mountains
of North Carolina.
Despite their tough
exterior, beets
are surprisingly
sweet, packed with as
much natural sugars as peaches.
MARK: They've been
boiling a long time.
Let me see here.
Yeah, they're soft enough.
I know one thing
about the beets--
they're gonna make
a lot of alcohol.
Should I throw this?
Hell no, don't throw it.
It may blow up.
NARRATOR: In Sevier County,
Tennessee, after getting
kicked off their still site
at the peak of their season,
Mike and Jerry rebuild
in a new location
to get back in business.
MIKE: This is mine
and J's first run
at the brand new still site.
We're really excited.
Here we've got a mixture
of oats and barley here.
Got it worked off real good.
We've got to get this
stuff pumped over,
go ahead, and break
this new site in.
Here she goes.
You know, we can mention
anything we want to,
but when it comes to
this column still,
you're not gonna have
much flavor at all,
because this thing
is designed to make
good, clean, neutral
spirits to mix with anything
you want to mix with it.
You know, me and
Jerry, we've done
pretty well this year selling
our regular clear alcohol.
People like it.
Ready to fire up?
When you're ready.
All right, going for the first
time at the new site, baby.
I believe this calls
for a good stiff drink.
Couple hours, we'll
have one for sure.
You know, I got something in
the damn truck we can drink.
- Oh, do you?
- Hell yes.
Some good stuff, too, papa.
JERRY: Break her out.
Let's get started.
MIKE: [VOICEOVER] You know,
before the pandemic come around
and all this crap
hit the fan, I had
old timer to get up with me,
and he wanted to trade out.
He had this bottle.
He home-made this stuff.
And so I traded him a
couple of good clean jars
of liquor for this.
You talk about something good,
something that I really like.
[chuckles]
- What do you got there?
It's amaretto.
JERRY: Looks like a
doggone dark whiskey.
MIKE: It's good man,
I'm telling you.
That is good.
It's got a lot of
unique flavors to it.
MIKE: I know it's got almonds,
peach pits, and stuff in it.
Kind of got good liqueur.
Like a liqueur, exactly right.
The flavor's so
good that I would
like to put something
like that out there, man,
for-- for people, you know?
Don't have to taste
identical to this,
but I want it to be as good.
You see what I'm saying?
JERRY: Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
MIKE: You know,
during this pandemic,
we've done pretty
good as far selling
as this good, clean alcohol
that we're running off.
Mighty damn.
It's good, man.
But we're not all about
just trying to make money.
We're sitting in a
position now that we
can get a little something out
there that's different, tastes
good, and people can enjoy.
The real base of this
stuff is the almonds.
I wonder if we can make
something near damn close
to that good a damn taste,
say, maybe with pecans.
You know, where I come
from in Mississippi,
we made *bleep* out of
pecans all the time.
We're in the
mountains of Tennessee.
Where we gonna pecans at?
Pecan trees grow
here, too, just
like the damn walnut trees do.
Hm.
Get this run knocked out,
we'll go get us a bucket full.
That's exactly right.
We got to get the liquor
run on first, don't we?
JERRY: Yeah, she
won't be long now.
There she flies.
JERRY: How's it smell?
It smells good.
It smells hot.
Let's have us a horn of
this good stuff over here.
[groans] This amaretto
is very complex.
I can taste cherry in it.
You taste the almond nuttiness,
the bitterness in it.
It almost tastes like he's got
a roasted coffee bean in it
somewhere.
Damn that's fine.
That'll make your sticker
peck out right there.
You know, we are
moonshiners, and we
like to think outside the box
and come up with something
creative, you know?
Get out of their heads.
Oh, it's good and clean now.
Yeah, I'll chuck it.
We're running a clean neutral
spirit from oats and barley
today.
It virtually has no
taste whatsoever,
so we're gonna be
able to infuse flavors
through this alcohol to make
it taste like we want it.
I think I like it too damn good.
JERRY: Mhm.
Why don't you sit down
there a little bit?
You spaz.
You ass-lick.
In Mississippi, my grandma
used to roast down pecans.
You talking about good?
If you can extract
the oils out of it
to infuse it with our alcohol,
that'd be some damn good stuff.
JERRY: About ready to
swap her out, ain't we?
There we go.
We're gonna have to
do a little research
and development on this.
I mean, I'm sure there's gonna
be a lot of trial and error,
but, you know, hey, that's the
way the first rocket was built.
Don't you want
you another sip?
Open your damn mouth.
- [inaudible]
- Open up.
- [inaudible]
You know, we're
gonna yield about 15
gallons today here on this run.
And tomorrow, we're gonna
go find some pecans to pick.
Looks like we're about
full here, Jerry.
This is the end of the road.
Let the pressure off.
Woo!
[laughs]
Damn pecans.
That's gonna make
some damn good liquor.
NARRATOR: Coming up--
You see the oil?
That's where you get
all your flavor out of.
If we can get all
the oils and stuff
extracted out of
these pecans, it's
gonna pack a powerful punch.
JERRY: There's plenty
of flavor in that nut.
MIKE: Yeah, that's
what she said.
JERRY: Why didn't I not
figure that was coming?
What we doing, old boy?
HENRY: Joshua.
Good to see you boys.
Good to see you, too.
Bring it on, John.
What's up, buddy?
[inaudible] been on the road.
What y'all got going on?
I was gonna say, what you got
on the back of the truck there?
I brought you boys a
little-- a little present,
a little surprise.
NARRATOR: In Franklin County,
Virginia, Carolina shiner Josh,
makes a late season trip
to help Tickle and the Laws
build a sheltered site, and
he brings a taste of home.
Wow.
JOSH: Oh, yeah.
Those'll do, won't they?
- Mhm.
You know, that's the good
thing about having a still site
in an apple orchard.
They finished all
their picking, and I've
had apples coming out my ears.
I just figured I'd
hook you boys up.
Even though I make brandies
and stuff, these guys,
they're experts at everything
that they got going on.
So I figured with the damn
season drawing to the end,
I figured I'd bring
in some apples.
Juicy.
That'll make some whiskey.
That'll make some whiskey.
Those'll work.
- Good.
I think they'll do the job.
We've got something else we'd
like for you to look at, too.
What you got?
Josh, everybody
knows he's a master
of disguise, underground
ground outfits and all.
And what we're
getting ready to build
is not completely underground,
but it's enough for me
to have a little bit of concern.
We get to the spot
we found, and we're
gonna come in here like this.
Now, this is all rock.
You know, I'm not much
of an artist, but--
and there's some pillars,
some huge round pillars
where the bridge came across.
And the bridge is gone.
What do you mean bridge?
There was a bridge
across the river.
KENNY: Yeah, oh, a long time ago
a bridge went across the river.
Yeah.
I see this--
this was a bridge,
goes across here, and this is
the river flowing underneath.
HENRY: Exactly.
Exactly.
JOSH: OK.
- We've got to put a roof on it.
We've got to put a tent on it.
Josh knows what will support it
a whole lot better than we do.
So I'm hoping I can get him
down and help me build it.
Do you have a plan on how
exactly are you're gonna--
what you're going to use?
Well, it's about 16 foot span.
KENNY: That's right.
JOSH: How far?
16 or 18 foot.
KENNY: About 16 foot.
So we're gonna have
to scab some lumber.
Yeah, because we
don't have anything.
Right here's what we've got.
JOSH: It's pretty flattering
that Henry, and Kenny,
and Tickle would have me
out here helping them,
and ask me for any advice on
anything making moonshine.
HENRY: I'm thinking
we're probably
gonna have to put maybe three
together with these short ones,
but then if we can
use that aluminum top.
KENNY: I believe it'll hold.
No more weight than
we're gonna be putting
on these things, it'll be fine.
We'll just scab them all
together, slap this thing
together, and it'll be fine.
The spot we got is
small, so we're gonna have
to go with a smaller still.
We've got a little
small submarine still.
You want to take a look at it?
Yeah, I don't mind
helping you do all this,
but Tickle's the carpenter.
Where the heck is he at?
He's a master carpenter, but
he's got other talents, too.
You'll see when he gets back.
Yeah, we're gonna
have plenty of help.
We're gonna get that
son of mine, Paige.
Yeah.
Sort of introduce him
to this building part.
[interposing voices]
KENNY: It ain't really--
it really ain't that big.
What we've got to
build ain't that big.
Paige is a good worker.
Man, it's great Josh is here.
We've got him helping us.
I'm bringing my son,
Paige, in to help us.
This pot that I'm using,
it's about two inches
of burn on the bottom of it.
The sides are still good.
So all we're doing is
replacing the bottom.
You know, this was a
buddy of mine's still.
He-- he died.
Accidentally got shot and died.
We always salvage
whatever we can.
We use sides.
We don't throw anything away.
We've got the top for it.
We just don't have
the bottom for it.
When that stuff
scorches on the bottom,
that doesn't want to come
off no matter what you do.
Won't come off.
This still that we're gonna
use is a buddy of mine's.
He was real close to me.
We were like brothers, and
he was accidentally shot.
It killed him.
And his wife came
to me and said,
Henry, Flutie, had
this still, and he
wanted you to have it if
anything ever happened to him.
And it's dear to me.
It's real dear to
me, and I can't
wait to use this--
fire the still up
and use it just
in memory of him.
Hey, look right
here at the damage.
Oh, it almost burnt this
side completely out on it.
JOSH: Mhm.
KENNY: Fire coming through.
HENRY: Yeah, when
this block came out,
the fire was probably
looping over.
It started to get into
the side a little bit.
You can see the charcoal.
Come on.
Check this bad boy out.
Hell yeah.
We've got us a pot.
Now that our still
is built, we're
gonna move it on in
to the still site
and get ready to rock and roll.
Well, I believe
we got us a pot now.
HENRY: And as far as
Tickle, I can't wait
to see what he's got going on.
I'm gonna take you
to your tank, Jackson.
The infamous Tickle.
- How's it going, boss?
- What's going on, brother.
Good to see you?
- Good to see you.
I got what you asked for here.
I got a little
something for you, too.
We got sausage, chorizo.
I got bratwurst and ham steaks.
Look how dark red that meat is.
TICKLE: Mm.
I tell you what, that sounds
like a fair trade for this.
Think about that right yonder.
Got a good bead
on her, don't she?
Hoo, doggie.
That's some fine
shine right here.
Yes, sir.
That'll do it, won't it?
Well, I'll tell you what.
I know people in my world.
I'm interested in knowing
the people in your world now.
I know all kinds
of barbecue icons
in all the different
regions of flavor.
And these guys, they're
not in magazines.
They don't have restaurants.
Every back road around
here's got a barbecue.
And I know the inroads
to get to all of them.
This looks like a start
of a beautiful friendship
to me, Tank.
MIKE: We'll get up
under these trees good.
I'd say we'll get all we need.
NARRATOR: Across the state
line in Sevier County,
Tennessee, Mike and Jerry are
harvesting pecans to flavor
a new amaretto inspired recipe.
You know, there's not a
whole damn lot of pecan trees
in Tennessee, but I do know
where there's a small grove
down by the river.
I tell you what, this
is the right time
of the year for them.
So you don't want to take
these green ones right here.
They're still encased
in their hull.
When they turn brown,
they'll open up
and actually drop the nut out
of the hull, like these right
here.
One of the reasons I know
a good bit about pecans
is that I grew up
in Mississippi,
and we spent a lot of
our time gathering up
them pecans for pies, and that
was a big staple down there,
you know?
- Yeah.
And, well, it
still is to this day.
NARRATOR: Nuts have been used
to flavor alcohol for centuries.
Medieval monks made the
first alcoholic liqueurs,
secretly blending
herbs, nuts, seeds,
and even tree bark to make
their potent concoctions.
Amaretto was born in Italy,
made from the bitter kernels of
almonds, apricots, and peaches.
When broken down, the bitter
component in these kernels
produces both toxic
cyanide, most of which
is eliminated
during distillation,
and benzaldehyde, the
organic compound that gives
amaretto its nutty flavor.
Watch this right here.
Look at the pecans falling.
Right in my bucket.
Caught one, didn't you?
Tell you what, right now
I'm feeling very lucky.
Look at them, man.
They're just all
over the damn place.
Because, you know, pecan
trees, every single year
they don't bare.
You'll have a real good year.
Then you'll have a
year where they only
have a handful of nuts on them.
We just got to figure out how
we can pull this flavor off.
Exactly.
These little jokers here
is gonna be hard to get in,
but they got a flavor
like none other, though.
Anything harder to get in
always seems to be better.
Those are really good.
Yeah, I just hope we can
make it good in some alcohol.
You know, with everything
going on today,
any time we can get
something for free,
it's a win-win for us.
We don't have to go out,
spend our hard earned money.
And we can still make
top shelf premium
liquor for half the damn price.
What are you doing sitting down
eating the damn pecans for?
Because they're
pretty damn good.
He's just like
a damn squirrel.
All the time wanting to gnaw
on some nuts some-damn-where.
From the ground to
hand to the jar, baby.
If you went to the grocery
store and bought 10 gallons
of pecans, even
unshelled, this would
be hundreds of dollars
worth of pecans,
and we got them for free.
So what do you
got on your mind
as far as extracting flavors?
Well, I don't know quite yet.
I've never made an alcohol
flavored with any kind of nut.
Me, personally,
all I've ever done
was gather them, busted
them, and eat the bastards.
JERRY: Yeah.
MIKE: My grandma and
them was the one that
done all the candies and pies.
We've got to come up with
how we're gonna do this.
I mean, you see the oil.
I mean, that just about
dripped off my finger now.
When you smell that
oil, that's where
you get all your flavor out of.
Well, we just need to
get the flavor to it.
I'm thinking we make an
extract more or less.
MIKE: Extract.
That way it won't
take a whole lot.
MIKE: Get us a good
flavor profile going on.
I tell you what.
If we could get all these busted
and get all the oils and stuff
extracted out of
these pecans, it's
gonna pack a powerful punch.
There's plenty of
flavor in that nut.
MIKE: Yeah, that's
what she said.
JERRY: Why did I not
figure that was coming.
NARRATOR: Coming up.
We'll put some
brown sugar in there.
Making his barbecue
sauce up-- it's
a whole lot like mashing in.
You got to have the
right ingredients
and the right procedure for
everything to come out perfect.
There is one more ingredient--
some 100 proof rye.
That's what puts the
kick in it right there.
MIKE: Oh, damn.
All right, set her down.
*bleep*
Might need a hand up on it.
Before we create an extract
out of these pecans,
we decided we're gonna lay
them out on cookie sheets,
smoke them, and try to
infuse that type of flavor
into our alcohol.
Well, by god, we've got
a smoker full of pecans,
don't we?
People love eating
smoked pecans.
When you pass a little
smoke through anything,
it's delicious.
It adds another
whole depth of flavor
to whatever you're preparing.
I'm actually using
pecan wood pellets
that are made from the limbs
of the pecan trees, which
has that nutty, smoky
flavor to them, as well.
It's already smelling good.
You damn think it's
gonna be delicious, man,
with that smoke
rolling through it.
You know it.
[sniffing]
Damn, that smells
good, don't it?
Smells like a dang popcorn.
MIKE: It does
smell like popcorn.
I'm gonna tell you what.
If we can catch that smoke
and pump it in the jar-
MIKE: That'd be the damn
thing to do, wouldn't it?
How do we get the smoke
into the damn alcohol.
Just pump it in there,
or blow it in there.
You think it'll really
damn work for us, or?
All right, get this.
Did you ever sit by a campfire?
All the time.
What did your clothes
smell like the next morning?
Fire.
Smoke.
Wood.
Well, the smell's there.
I would say it might attract
to the jar, the glass, the--
The liquor.
The liquor.
The water that's in
the liquor, you know?
It's got to collect
a little bit.
We can try it.
We'll rig up
something, pump it over
in there while they're smoking.
Me and Jerry, we've already
got the alcohol run.
Man, we got a neutral
grain spirit here.
So we'd like to
experiment to see if we
can make a good tasting drink.
You want the lid?
JERRY: Yeah, hand
me the whole tote.
The whole tote.
The whole tote.
We're gonna try
to trap the smoke
and induce it into
the alcohol itself.
And so we'll just cut a
hole right here in this tote.
Damn, Jerry, you just ain't
another pretty face, are you?
Mm-mm.
Drop that over that.
Snap her in.
Look at you go, boy.
Got an air mattress pump.
This is designed to go on
a mattress so you can--
this would be the intake.
Then just turn it on.
That blows the air out of it.
Let me fire this bad boy up.
Come out our hose.
Oh, it is coming out of there.
Look at that.
JERRY: [inaudible].
MIKE: Look.
There's just smoke
coming out of there.
MIKE: My god, that's got a real
aroma to it, don't it, bubba?
It smells even better
coming out of the alcohol
than it does out of here.
Hell yes, you can
taste the smoke in it.
Smoke is there.
It is there for sure.
I'll be dadgummed.
MIKE: You can taste
it, can't you?
That's got a good subtle--
good subtle smokey taste to it.
MIKE: It does.
It's almost between
a cross-- a cross
from popcorn and good liquor.
MIKE: Yeah.
[laughter]
I'm telling you.
Pretty much makes it taste
like an aged alcohol,
but it's not colored.
It's like you've
poured your whiskey
over into a charred barrel.
Take them nuts and squeeze
that oil out of them.
Few drops of that in each jar.
Man, I think that'd
be about top shelf.
We got to start.
We've got something in
the alcohol right now.
You can actually take a shot
of that liquor and enjoy it.
I'm gonna get drunk
on smoked liquor.
MARK: Look at that bubble
with the head on it there.
VANCE: Hell yeah.
NARRATOR: In Graham
County, North Carolina,
after teaming up
with Mark's dad,
Vance, Mark and
Huck are attempting
to turn 400 pounds
of free surplus beets
into a late season payday.
MARK: We ain't never
run beets before.
In this run of liquor, we're
gonna put them in a pot
and see what they do.
Oh, yeah.
That's right.
That's right.
Back when I
started, son, you had
to watch what you was doing.
- Yeah.
- You'd be on the chain gang.
- Yeah.
I still don't want
to get caught.
No, but I mean back
then they'd come hunt you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, boy.
There she comes.
There you go.
That's some old head.
Throw it away.
MARK: That's right.
HUCK: I'll tell you what.
If you just want to get drunk--
I mean blistered-- that
right there would do it.
MARK: Let me see that.
HUCK: Tell me what you think.
It's about the alcohol.
VANCE: I'll tell you what.
You know what?
MARK: There's a lot
little strange taste there
that people don't recognize.
You can taste a
little hint of a beet,
but it takes that earthy taste.
If you like beets,
you'd probably like it.
And if you don't, you might not.
But a lot of people just--
if you give them a drink
before you sold it to
them, I don't think they
would buy it, a lot of them.
To sell this stuff, a
fella might need to had
a little something to it.
He might.
I don't know what
we're gonna do,
but we've got to figure
out how to sell this liquor
is all I know.
HUCK: What do you think?
We'll need three buckets, or?
MARK: We might.
NARRATOR: Deep in the mountains
of western North Carolina, Mark
and Huck are trying to salvage
a 30 gallon run of beet vodka
using an old time
flavoring trick.
HUCK: It's lucky that
we had these pears.
Daddy Law, he sure took
care of these old trees.
VANCE: He's passed
away and gone,
but he's still helping us out.
My father-in-law
had these pear trees,
and apple trees, and stuff.
They've all got a
real good flavor.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
That ought to flavor
two runs, aren't it?
MARK: Yeah.
VANCE: My boy's back again.
HUCK: Back again, Vance.
Yeah, light it.
VANCE: Yeah, we're nearly full.
HUCK: It will make your
hands sticky, won't it?
Yeah, that's a lot of juice
in them pears, you know?
HUCK: They are.
MARK: We just put the
pears in the mash.
It's gonna strip most
of the taste out of it.
So we're gonna to put
it in the thumper.
You get a better taste on
the other end that way.
HUCK: Let's go.
All we got to do is
just wait on it now.
VANCE: And how'd that ever
turn out, you was on the road?
MARK: Well, I'm just glad we got
to help some of our old buddies
out, and it changed things up.
But we've had a lot of fun.
Oh, yeah.
MARK: And I ain't kidding you.
So I'm glad we done it.
VANCE: Yeah, man.
MARK: I ain't kidding you.
About the end of the season.
Time to change my way of living.
The next three, four
months, you know,
I'll be in the woods hunting.
We need to sell this liquor
to survive till next season.
Boy, that's running.
HUCK: It is, ain't it?
[interposing voices]
HUCK: Cut them heads
off there, Vance.
Boy, it's got a good smell.
Yeah.
MARK: Getting cool, anyway.
VANCE: Yeah, that'll do it.
It'll proof itself
down [inaudible]..
[groans]
VANCE: You're getting
a pretty good bead.
HUCK: Yeah.
MARK: Yeah.
It's about proofed to sell.
Well, he lives
way back, don't he?
Yeah, boy.
No.
That's love liquor there, huh?
You are good friend.
I believe we done good.
What do you think?
I know we did.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
[laughter]
Josh ought to be on the way.
I don't want to be standing on
the side of this road too long.
People see us.
Yeah.
There he is.
HENRY: Winter time's coming on.
We found his site.
It's beautiful.
All we got to do is
just build it in.
Camo it up.
I made it.
I made it.
What's up, Mr Paige?
With Josh and my
oldest son, Paige,
we should be able
to get the job done.
Let's get her done.
All right.
HENRY: We'll take
this lumber here
we built right over
the river and make
liquor all winter long.
Make winter all liquor long.
Yep.
Yep.
Make winter all liquor long.
So let's get some lumber out.
We start building.
I got it.
TICKLE: We get screws,
chain saw, drills,
and that little sawhorse.
Right here, Paige.
All right, now let's take
one of them four foot pieces
and put it right here.
Josh, you lose a
finger like that.
[laughter]
TICKLE: All right, while y'all
are doing that, I'm gonna mark
another one of these four foot.
[saw buzzing]
All right, you know what?
I think about hungry.
Josh, give me a hand with
this thing over here.
I knew today was going
to be a very long day.
What part of
the still is that?
It's a smoker.
This thing runs like one of
the old wood fired stills.
I decided to bring my
smoker out here and really
feed these boys good.
Let me get a fire going.
I've had a lot of
chances this year
to reflect on the shared history
of barbecue and moonshine.
All right, here we go.
There's a whole lot
of similarities there,
and this year I really
took it upon myself
to go out and cook with
some of the best pit
masters in the
country, and really
learn a whole lot more about
moonshine and barbecue history.
When you start smoking
you out real bad,
you know you're getting close.
And one of my favorite things
to smoke up on the grill
is good old country
style pork ribs.
If I'm gonna cook ribs, I got
to make some barbecue sauce.
HENRY: Get on the
other side, Paige.
KENNY: Paige is strong
as a damn bull ox.
HENRY: So this'll be fourth
generation right here.
Fourth generation moonshiner.
My oldest son, Paige--
he's 18 now-- and I'm dying
to hand down this tradition.
My dad taught me.
His dad taught him.
Hand it to me, Paige.
Now I've got the
opportunity to teach
my son it's more
to making liquor
than mashing and making liquor.
You got to learn
how to build a site.
That's as important
is making liquor.
All right, we're in.
Starting out
with tomato sauce.
All right.
Making this barbecue
sauce up, it's
a whole lot like mashing in.
We put some brown
sugar in there.
You got to melt all
that sugar in just
like when we're making shine.
You got to have the
right ingredients
in the right order in the
right procedure for everything
to come out perfect.
And there is one more
ingredient, some 100 proof rye.
It's got sweet
white corn in there,
so you got pepper on the
front and sweet on the back.
All right, oh, I can
smell that already.
That's what puts the
kick in it right there.
For the roof, we
can build some rafters
around through here.
Let me check out
these boards that we
laid out here and see if that's
what you was talking about.
When you get four
or five men together
that know what
they're doing, I mean,
you get some work done fast.
That ain't too bad, really.
Let's take another one these,
Paige, and see if it'll reach.
Yeah, right there.
I'm just about starving.
Yeah, I could use a little
something to eat myself.
TICKLE: All right,
that's a good start.
Can't have good barbecue
without some good smoke.
All right, let's get
some ribs on here.
Oh, yeah.
Got to love that sound.
And we'll give them some room
to breathe where the smoke
can wrap around them evenly.
All right.
Boy, them things
look good right here.
All right.
Well, I reckon I can go see
if these boys need a hand.
That's gonna take several
hours right there.
All right, fellas, I got sauce
made and meat on the grill.
What kind of meat?
I'm about starved, boy.
Country style pork ribs.
I've never had
barbecued ribs in a still.
I might ought to stop.
I'm spoiling you.
No, you work better when
your belly's full, don't you?
I don't know.
I tend to take a
nap when I get full.
[laughter]
Yeah.
Yeah.
[laughter]
HENRY: Yeah, let's get this
mesh on the still site.
KENNY: You can slide it
all the way down here.
Hey, Paige, pull this
on back this way.
Yeah.
KENNY: There you go.
We got the build finished.
Now we're gonna have to do
a whole lot of camo work.
That's pretty
good on this side.
We've got some camouflage
netting and leaves.
Just camouflaging
it really nice.
It looks good.
Here is where the
magic's gonna happen.
We have a still
under here camo-ed up.
We're going with a
small outfit, too,
so small space right here
with that half price liquor
is all we need.
Tell you what, fellas, I'm
gonna go check them ribs out,
see what they're looking like.
About the time Henry, Kenny, and
Josh is putting the finishing
touches on the
still site, the ribs
is ready to come out
off of the grill.
All right.
Well, it looks mighty good.
TICKLE: Yes, sir.
What do you think of that?
Y'all can't have any.
Now that Josh has
helped us build this site,
it's time that we
turn our attention
to a winter project,
something maybe a little
bit smaller batch.
Also, we've got
to figure out what
the hell we're gonna do
with all these apples
that Josh brought us.
Who taught you how to cook?
The penitentiary.
Well [laughs] my daddy told
me one time that I was so darn
ugly I better learn to cook.
I might find a woman
to do it for me.
But luckily, I found me one.
[laughter]
Oh, yeah, looky, looky here.
They're nice and
caramelized, Jerry.
We've got to do something
creative here to try to get
these oils out of these pecans.
JERRY: Get her welded together.
Yeah.
Jerry come up with
the idea to say, well,
let's-- let's just press the
oil out of them to extract
all that oil, and we can get the
most amount as we possibly can.
That'll do it?
I believe so, bubba.
You know, I have
a hydraulic press.
Woo-wee!
Just had to homemake
a press and jig.
And if we can just get some
oils out of them pecans,
we'll be in high damn
cotton, won't we?
Load that bad boy up, Jerry.
All right, here we go.
Come on, baby.
JERRY: Looky there, looky there.
All right, baby.
We got oil.
That's a pale oil, won't it?
JERRY: We got it
running out the back.
[whooping] We got
oils coming out!
Holy damn.
Taste it.
Mm, damn almighty,
that is fine, boy.
Oh my god, dude,
that is phenomenal.
I could just about
drink that by itself.
It's got kind of a
smoky, burnt, nutty--
MIKE: Nutty.
--flavor to it.
I don't feel like we're gonna
have to add a whole lot per jar
of alcohol to get this flavor,
because this oil is, I mean,
super concentrated.
Damn.
That is a--
JERRY: Is a pecan
pancake right there.
MIKE: It's almost dry.
Feel it.
Well, yeah.
Here we go.
Tells all.
I'd say that's about enough
for a taste, ain't it?
Yeah.
Give's room to shake.
Ain't no need in
wasting something
if it ain't gonna turn out.
[inaudible] pout
it from [inaudible]..
We got to be
careful with this oil,
because we don't want to mix
too much and just overpower it.
It's just-- it's
got to be there,
but yet it's got to be
a drink of liquor you
want to take a good
shot of and have
that flavor on the back note.
It tastes like pecan.
It's got the smoked
flavor in it.
Really damn good.
I like-- try it.
That's crazy, ain't it?
MIKE: It's in there, ain't it?
Oh, it's here.
MIKE: In there like
a hair in a biscuit.
JERRY: I love it.
I think it's great.
It's even got that little bit
of a chary taste to it, as well.
I never thought we'd
ever accomplish it.
Right there it is.
But I'm-- I'm tickled
to death with it.
I mean, I like it.
I'm satisfied with it.
Yeah, man.
You know what the damn
main goal is here today?
Me and Jerry's pulled this off.
We figured out how to put
pecan flavor into alcohol,
and we nailed it down.
JERRY: Just want to make sure we
get all that oil off the bottom
there.
MIKE: [gasps]
JERRY: Damn.
MIKE: Damn, you spilling
our damn oil, Jerry.
That damn jar is
slipperier than *bleep*,, son.
Oh, I'd say it is.
It's got oil on it.
JERRY: That was costly, huh?
MIKE: Yeah.
Man, you clumsy
today, ain't you?
JERRY: Tell you what.
NARRATOR: Next time
on "Moonshiners."
Hate to drive all over east
Tennessee trying to find jars.
A jar shortage
to a moonshiner is
about as desperate as it gets.
We've committed 1,500 jars
of expired mayonnaise.
This is the messiest
*bleep* that I've ever
fooled with in my life.
This ain't fishing.
We've got to come up
with another plan.
Thinking of something
new, 400 years ago,
this guy, Thorpe, he made the
first whiskey in North America.
You're talking about
the first alcohol
that was distilled in America.
I want to recreate what
he did 400 years ago.
This is something special.
It's an expedition
back in history.
What would be
the chance you have
tomato paste and lemon juice?
Yeah, what the hell do
we need down with tomato
paste and lemon juice for?
I've heard of this
recipe called birdwatchers.
[laughs]
Slicing tomatoes.
[inaudible]
[laughs]