Moonshiners (2011–…): Season 11, Episode 6 - Champagne or Shine Pain? - full transcript

let me ask
you somethin'.

Would you consider
goin' into a partnership?

just north
of cocke county, tennessee,

mark and digger face
an unexpected dilemma.

Unlimited access to one
of the best

water sources
in the country.

But, only if they partner
with its owner

on a legal distillery.

there ain't nothing
tempts me any more

than that right there.

-There's a bet here.
-Yeah.



I'm, I'm gonna have
to graciously decline

right now just simply
because I don't know

if I'm ready for that jump
in my life right now.

Everybody's been told
the old cliche,

if you love what you do,
you'll never

work a day
in your life.

I don't consider this work.

I'm in the woods
with my best friend.

And if I go legal, then
it becomes a job.

And I'm afraid if it becomes
a job, I'll no longer love it.

Well, guys, you know, when
the water leaves

this property, I know
for a fact

based on what I've seen
on the maps

it probably travels two miles
before there's any



other influence
of a tributary into it.

What you're saying
is that once this

water leaves your boundaries,
you no longer

care how it's policed.

Exactly. That would be
the best way I could put it.

once it runs past
his property line,

he's no longer
in charge of it.

John, thank you, sir.

So, we might go further
downstream,

find a still site
and continue making

this tennessee whiskey.

how come, man, you can't
be lucky enough

to have a piece of property
with water like he's owning?

Well, I tend to refer
to my situation

as financially embarrassed.

this water, the quality
of it, is not gonna change

until tributaries start
running into it

and dilutin' its purity.

Over yonder's where
we have to go with this.

I don't know, we might get
through this culvert.

So, we're gonna scout
this source

a little farther
downstream and see if we can't

find a suitable spot
for a still site

using the same water,
but on different property.

It don't look bad
through here, bud.

All right, it's clear
as a bell down there

except for that
big snake nest.

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

man, I'm ready
to put some benjamins
in the old pocket.

-What about you?
-Ready, freddy.

over the
state line in haywood county,

north carolina, moonshiners
mike and jerry

are busy turning a windfall
of blueberries

into high-end brandy.

Ooh boy!
That's blueberry in it.

me and jerry, we wanna
make top shelf,

high dollar premium
alcohol.

That's our goal
for this season.

You know, less alcohol
but for a higher price.

That's what we're
tryna do.

You get your snort in it.

What's it taste like?
Tastes pretty good.

oh, god.
Something is ready.

Holy.
Oh, my god.

-That is fan...
-That's good,

of a great crack,
just like it is.

When you mash in
fruit and ferment it,

it turns into wine.

-It's a semi-sweet, dry.
-Semi-dry, yeah.

-Oh, my god. It's good.
-It's dry wine.

This blueberry mash,
this is some of the finest
looking wine

a man could ever
blink his eyes on.

Whatever we've done, by god,
we've done somethin' right.

Let's get this stuff skimmed
off here and get it
in the pot.

Got a nice, thick cake
on the top of it.

Really, really pretty,
real deep dark in color.

It smells great.
Tastes damn good, too.

get some of that fine
blueberry wine pouring here.

That's about full,
cap her off.

When we get this started,
you can tap that cap a little.

the pasteless cap.

- the pasteless cap.
- authoritative.

hey, lets go over and
get yourself

-a little bit of that wine.
- that'd be good.

you know, I've bought a lot
of wine in my life.

I've made a lot of wine
at home in my life.

But, this is some
of the best stuff, I believe,

I've ever put
in my mouth.

It's too good not to drink,
man, I'm telling you.

Well, you know, who would
love this right here?

- who?
-Jenna, my fiance.

Me and jenna, we've been
together now for seven years.

We've actually been engaged
for basically seven years.

We finally made a date
to get married,

gonna go ahead
and put the last nail

in the coffin so to speak.

She likes stuff like it?

Damn! She loves a good
wine, man.

She'd be over here
with a damn straw,

sucking the bottom out
of this damn thing.

You know, the, the blueberry
brandy is real damn good.

Oh, yeah, this is that
whole different...

- whole different taste?
-...Whole different
complexity to it.

I'm gonna throw
one at you,

somethin' I ain't never
even done.

-I ain't even attempted to do.
- what'd that be?

You know how I like bubbly
*bleep*.

You know, you like bubbly.
All right.

I'd like to make
a champagne, sparkling wine,

something like it out of this,
a champagne.

champagne
is a sparkling wine produced

in the champagne region
of France.

While today, champagne
is coveted the world over.

It was actually discovered
accidentally

in the 17th century.

The vendors in champagne
were vying to produce

better wine than their
southern neighbors

in burgundy.

However, champagne's colder
winter

led to bottles
freezing

and yeast going
dormant.

When warmer weather returned,
the yeast reactivated,

releasing carbon dioxide.

This buildup of pressure
caused most bottles
to explode.

But those that remained
intact,

had champagne signature
bubbles.

Legend has it that
a french monk

named dom perignon turned
this serendipitous mishap

into the celebratory beverage
we have today.

Have you ever looked into
the process of champagne?

To my understanding,
it's pretty lengthy.

Well, we can do a quick
process on it, maybe.

Just add the sparkling note
to it.

You know, make it fizzy
like champagne.

Well, I'm gonna do
it like a cider,

you know, they actually
add a little bit of yeast

and sugar before they
can it.

-Mmm-hmm.
-To kinda give it that "shh."

-a little crisp I guess.
-Yeah.

And look at the volume
that we're gonna have

as opposed
to distilling it out.

-Oh, yeah.
-Seven gallons,
after we distill it?

And we've got 50
sitting around here.

It's a no damn brainer.

Are you down for a damn
challenge or what?

You know me. Challenge
is my middle name.

- jerry,
we got liquor, brother.
- love it.

- see that's hitting
the jar.
- good deal.

our blueberry brandy
goes for about

a hundred and twenty-five
dollars a gallon.

We can probably sell,

you know, a bottle
of the champagne

for 50 bucks a bottle.

For volume, that's double
the money, pretty much.

Also, we'll have a hell
of a lot more volume

than if we distilled
it off into brandy.

- it's getting cold.
- heck yeah, son.

But it's a lot of extra work

and making champagne
is a process

that neither one of us
is really familiar with.

We got money to be made
on the brandy.

But if we turn this
into a champagne,

we may fail completely.

We're basically risking

the bird that we have
in our hand

for two in the damn bush here.

- money in the bank.
- money in the bank.

in the bottle anyway.

...Meet me over here,

uh, man's supposed to bring
as much raspberries.

How many has he got?

I don't know, a bunch,
whate he thought.

Five, six hundred pound
or somethin', I don't know.

Heck, how in the world
he got hold of 600 pounds

-of raspberries?
-I have no idea.

eighty miles west in
graham county, north carolina.

Mark and huck
are rendezvousing
with a local contact

who has a line on
mass quantities of fruit.

man, huck's
trying to make some money.

Mike, from last year,
didn't make this much really.

oh, he's got the whole truck
weighted down ain't it.

-Yeah, it's scrawny,
isn't it.
-Yeah.

Usually raspberries
four or five six dollars

for this little bitty box that
we know.

If you get a chance to get
some product like that free,

you better grab it.

-Hello, up there.
-Hello, mark.

let's see, what we got here?

what is it, is it jelly?

It looks like jelly to me.

But it's raspberry, sir.

What do you think we're
making? Pancakes, is it?

boy, I tell you what,
that's sweet.

It wouldn't take
much sugar with it.

That won't take much...

Work to get it mashed
in either, would it.

Well, it's already
broke down that for sure.

Do you see bits
and pieces of berries
in there?

well, it'll save us
a lot of work

and save us some money
on the sugar too.

How in the world would you get
six hundred pound

uh, syrup like it?

There's a food processing
plant that was closing down.

They were gonna throw it out

and I told 'em I knew a couple
of guys that might

do something with it.

I'd say we can do
something for this.

it'd be good on a basket,
wouldn't it?

even more.

I thought I was gonna
have raspberry.

I've never mashed in
no syrup like this before.

It ain't no tellin' how much
liquor is for my
frail bucket for.

It's got a real strong
raspberry taste,

you know if it's real sweet,
they've put a lot of sugar in.

So, we're gonna try to make
the best drink it would make.

- thank you.
-Appreciate it, guys.

- thank you.
-Good luck, buddy.

all right,
we've got to go down
through here.

Here we go. Oh, yeah.

You know, 2020 was a difficult
year for everybody,

but this year,
things are looking up.

People are willing
to pay top dollar

for a top-shelf product.

Hell, man, might we'll just
get right in the damn
middle of it.

we've jumped in
with both feet,

went all in on this
tennessee whiskey.

But the dilemma is,

we have to have
limestone water

to make our tennessee whiskey.

Damn, look right under.

Oh, this is nice spot,
ain't it?

That'd be ideal
right there to setup.

this water,
even on the other side

of john's property line,

it's still full of little
periwinkle snails.

It's still crystal clear.
It's still cold.

So, at this point,

it simply went
from being his water

to not being his water.

There's ain't nobody
I know for this part,

but if I scroll over

to the next piece property,
you know who it is?

Rodney stinson.

Uh-huh.

Digger has got this

little deal on his phone,
it's a property app.

And you can see the property
line right through there.

We do know someone
and he's a friend of ours.

-He's got like 30 acres there.
-Yeah.

But the water is not
on his property.

-That's a hell of a way
to put some water in it.
-Yeah.

I think it's
100 vertical feet.

I'd say it's close.

Well, if we're going to stay
after tennessee whiskey,

I mean, this is given here.

You know, not only
is it a pretty good clip

as far as the crow flies even

it's a lot of elevation
to overcome

to be able to put water
on the other side.

But if we're going to make
tennessee whiskey,

we need to get the water
to rodney's property.

Let's go get us
some grasshoppers.

let's go see what we can
find up here.

We followed the angus mountain
spring water downstream

and we found a place that
we think would work,

but we can't
setup still on it.

You didn't know
who owned this, right?

I don't know the people

their last name
ain't from here.

you know, by and large,

if you know the names
of local last name,

you feel a little comfortable
getting on somebody's
property.

The majority of people that
have been lifelong residents
over here,

they, for the most part,
embrace it.

I knew over here,

but I never thought of him
for ain't no water
on his property.

You know, rodney,
he's a good old boy,

he's been a friend of ours
for decades.

We don't feel the need
really to ask him

permission to set up
on his property.

I know he don't mind,

and honestly, the less
he knows, the better.

Then it don't put
him in a position

to have to lie for us.

What do you think?

I think right over here
is good and flat right here.

I love the fact
stem down junk cars this year.

Yeah, boy.

man, they've plenty of it.

we can park here
amongst them and not
at his place.

cover up there.

You know, the big benefit
of setting up

next to some old junk cars is

the copper still fits
right in the junk.

You... You can't see
the forest for the trees,

so to speak.

Hey, first look
at this right here.

-This here can be wrecked.
-This here can be wrecked
to dig it out.

-I think right here
is the place.
-Yep.

- hey...
- huh?

How are you planning on
getting water over here?

Well, I hadn't really

went that far
in my thinking,

but we got that water
I know it's gotta come
from over here.

You know, my papa
had a little old thing

that he put in the spring box.

It was some sort of
pump that worked off

the flow of the water comin'
out of the spring house.

-Out of the spring--
-water pressure and volume.

-Yeah.
-I saw one, uh,

putting water to a cabin.

-Ram pump.
- ram pump.

-Yeah.
- that was it.

I'd want to say rampart,
but that's something else.

If we can figure out
how to get a pump in here,

we can get water
across this hill.

Once we get to
the top of the ridge,

the rest of it's all
downhill so to speak.

Well, what... What do we need
to do to investigate that?

Well, I say, we go ask
our resident macgyver.

Daniel may have heard
of one.

You know, he's all
about mechanic.

Oh, yeah. If anybody
can build one

and make it work,
daniel maner can.

Exactly.

We keep daniel
in our hip pocket

and the fact that he's
a hillbilly macgyver

that don't hurt things a bit.

This part is settled,
let's go,
hunt daniel and talk to him.

come on, jerry.

There are some pretty glass
ice bottles, aren't they?

sure is.

Make pretty wine out of these.

Our big idea is
to turn this blueberry wine

into actual champagne.

this process started.

let's hold it
directly on top.

-Are you ready?
- try out.

There you go.

this wine's delicious.

But we made it out
of crushed up blueberries.

It's got a lot
of settlement particles,

uh, blueberry holes.

We gotta clear
this stuff up

before we ever start
the process
of making champagne.

I'm doing good
this stuff right here is

looking pretty doggone good.

we're gonna soften
this blueberry mash

over into our other vessels

and leave the settlement
in the barrel.

Let's get them out.

That's called racking.

You do that several times
to keep clearing up your wine.

We're gonna take it
and catchin' these car, boys.

And it will allow
all the particles inside of it

to be able to fall
to the bottom.

And we will take
the good clear stuff

that's coming off the top

and pump it off
into another container.

Whatever is in the bottom
will pitch and then we'll pump

into another one
and you let that one settle

you pump it into another one.

So, pull it off
that third time

it'll be nice
and clean and clear.

Then we can start
our champagne
process from there.

All right, we got her.

You ready to get out
of here of this step, brother?

-Yeah.
-Then grab us a jug
and throw in there.

Me and jerry,
we do just about everything

under the sun in the woods.

But there's sometime you've
got to get out of the woods

to do certain types
of processes.

That's going to be a lot
of good sparkling wine.

Usually, when me
and jerry make liquor,

we ferment it one time.

If we're making
this champagne,

we gotta go through
a second fermentation,

keeping the right temperature
for this stuff to ferment.

We're gonna go over
here to a little garage

which we're gonna
make our winery.

Our good friend gave us
permission to be here

and we got access to regulate
the temperature in here

and we're gonna start
this whole process

tryna make some champagne.

I guess,
our time here is done

for right
this minute, ain't it?

Yeah. I'll just let her sit

-and do her thing.
-Yeah.

Yeah, you know,
you just gotta be patient.

You gotta let this wine sit
and let gravity do its work.

Let it be still for a while.

Rack it over
into another vessel.

Do the same process
several times back and forth

so you can clear your wine up.

That's a cool deal, player.

Let her rest.

well,
I tell you what, mark.

I've never seen
that much syrup one time.

We got the several buckets
of good high quality
raspberry syrup.

We're gonna try
to make some high quality

liquor out of this.

- I tell you,
it smells good.
- yeah.

I tell we'll get more
flavor out of that

blend something else with it.

Better, we could sell it.

Well, we could, uh...

We could make ouselves
some lemonade

flavor of that bumper with it
and run it through it

and see what we come up with.

I like a glass of lemonade.

-How about you?
-I would like good lemonade?

I know, people drink
raspberry lemonade.

Why not do it moonshine?

I know it'd be a good flavor.

As the old timers
would say

we could doctor it up
a little bit.

We could get some real
raspberries, you know.

Pretty, that's a little maybe.

We can make it look good
and taste good there by.

Fortified wine.

Everybody looked at it, said
something about the color,

you know, say my...

I have to sell it,
I believe this could be

just the biggest hit
to say it.

Raspberry lemonade moonshine.

So, if we can get
mashed in, I guess,

the quicker it'll go
to working.

yeah.

Heave it, heave it.

You know, five three buckets
to the barrel.

a big hit play star,
don't you?

-Yeah.
-Yeah, 150 pound of syrup

that's a lot of syrup.

It'd take a big biscuit

for it, I'll tell you that.

That looks like color,
don't it?

somebody ripped
an old pillar open.

Throw it on top of raspberry
and feathered.

we usually put, uh,
50 pound of sugar.

About 20 pound's
all we need,

-I believe, don't you?
-Yeah.

Uh, these raspberries
are sweet,

you can over sugar something,
you know, what?

It take forever and ever
for it to work off.

So, we figured we'd cut
the sugar in half

and try that.

here comes the yeast.

Oh, look at that turmoil.

Grab that sheet there, uh,
must cap this off.

We gonna get both these
barrels capped off,
getting them to work,

and we're gonna make as much
moonshine as we can out of it.

new year,
new products, new flavors.

Let's take the
old farmer, ain't it?

Yeah.

- we ain't
got no water?
- no.

Uh. Bull *bleep*.

well, as difficult as
this endeavor has been,

it's getting more
and more difficult.

We've got to have this water
to do what we need to do.

- daniel?
- yes, sir.

The reason
we're bringing you here

we gotta have this water
and we can't run no generator

-or nothing here.
- but this style
of pump

all you're gonna hear
is a little flicker.

well, as difficult as
this endeavor has been,

it's getting more
and more difficult.

We're kind of maybe...

We might be trespassing
a little bit,

but we're only
doing it temporarily.

The water is just passing
by them just like the areas

that somebody's gonna breathe
on the next property.

So, what's wrong
with getting a little of it

off their property

before it gets away?
So, we're gonna build

this ramp pump and try to get
it over this hillside here.

You have to be a jack of all
trades to be among us, daniel.

-Ain't top that and...
-You've... You've got to be

a plumber,
a carpenter and everything.

I don't mind.
That actually don't hurt.

This water is one of a kind
and we have to have it.

That looks good
the threading on it.

Pop pop, we're ready to go.

You know, digger
and I know nothing at all

about a ramp pump.

This is our fresh reservoir.

That's one of the reasons
we enlisted old daniel.

Well, this right here.
It's a hydraulic ramp pump.

It'll take gravity fed water
going in this, into the pump

and sandwater up through here,
up in this pressure reservoir.

Higher pressure that's trapped
in this tank

will push down on it
and send it out to the outlet

and send it up the hill.

Uh-huh, there you put
a foot on that, daniel.

Put a big rock on it.

Big ass rock.

Now, rodney's property
starts at the top

of the ridge back
here behind us.

So, the way it lies,

we've gotta come out
of this branch,

then get to the top
of the hill.

And pump water into reservoir,
we're going to put up there.

If we can get
to the top of that,

then we can make the water
go downhill,

it's getting it to go up
the hill is the problem.

We've got a pretty good task
ahead of us.

It's gonna involve
a lot of black pipe.

this reminds me
of being a youngster

in playland creek.

basically,
what we're doing is...

yeah.

this is...

Outrageously ridiculous
to go to these measures

to do this.

But, at the end of the day,
this water

has been scrutinized
by the best in the business.

And it has been declared
the best water

in the world at one point.

We've gotta
have this water to do

what we need to do.

Well, here we go, boy.

we ain't got
no water?

no.

may take it in there.

-Ain't no water coming in?
- uh-uh.

Ah, bull *bleep*!

Nothing, it's just water
flowing through

nothing's happening,
no clicking, no,

no sound of anything
going on inside of this pump.

- damn it.
- damn it.

we've got to get
this thing going, boys.

We've got to be
getting some liquor made.

We ain't doing it
spinning our wheels.

Smells good.

It does.

Getting better.

this raspberry syrup,

we've never run
anything like this before.

There's nothing in it
but raspberries,

and sugar you know,

so, we're just going to have
to see how it turns out.

Hope it tastes good,
don't you?

yeah.

We lost a lot
of money last year.

Our fortified wine
it's so good

but the more we can make
the more what you sell,

the better we're going
to make it this winter.

I guess we'd better
build us a farm and squeeze

-some lemons, hadn't we.
- yeah, buddy.

These big, fancy restaurants

people get this
raspberry lemonade.

You see the sweat
running down the glass

really tastes good
and looks good.

So, I think this run here,
will be a hit.

We don't want to put
no lemons in that still.

What we're gonna do is

put it in the pump
it'll give us
a lot more flavor.

well if we can't
sell that as liquor.

We can open up
a lemonade stand.

well, here comes all
that warm, you know,

the brandy that we run

should have a little bit of
a raspberry taste

by putting this lemonade
in the pumper

we'd be able to taste
both of them in it.

Raspberry lemonade moonshine,
and I ain't never heard of it.

Since we got the lemonade
in the thumper

we gotta get her cap on,

get everything pasted up.

Hottest we got her now,

it shouldn't take too long,
we'll be around it

and ready to start running.

here it comes, mark.

She started running out

and we're throwing out
the heads

and I'm gonna take me
a good little taste here.

Good high proof, son,
and I'll tell you that.

Its got a good flavor to it
right now.

We'll be able to tell more
about it

at the back end of the run.

Get her doctored up
just right,

its gonna be good.

Since all we got was syrup

we went out and bought
a bunch of raspberries.

We're going to soak
some of the raspberries

in some of the high proof
liquor that first comes out.

that's gonna
be pretty.

it is pretty, ain't it?

And then we're going
to doctor yours
after the fact.

I believe this is just
about done.

all right, huck,
let's get to her.

yeah, sell her,
let's go jar it up.

that's right.

I smell this back here
it's dirt, mark.

You're going
to real, eh, markie?

oh, would you try, one?

Oh, oh, however you will.

You take your breath, huck.

I'll tell you them berries
right there,

they're high proof.

That is strong, hoo!

If you eat
one of 'em berries,

lay it out of top
of that shine

the grounds level is flat
meets you at in the face.

Hey, how many berries
you want me to put in there?

I'm gonna put
about four or five.

yeah, we're about
thirty-six jars with us.

Oh, huck,
he's scooping them out
and he's laying it to it.

- oh, that's pretty
though, ain't it.
- mmm-hmm.

does that remind you
of being on the binge?

I'm gonna place some
berries and lemons.

I get them in there,
you know, what I'm looking at?

It looks real calm...

...Peaceful I guess
you would say.

I mean it, it's pretty.

mark first let's do
a taste test here.

Don't burn.

Perfect.

-I can taste the
raspberries set that start...
- mmm-hmm.

Little bit a heat in
the start and then you

-breathe lemon.
-Tell you what,

if a man had
a little bad cold

or something
that right there
would be good.

We wound up with 12 gallon,

a good raspberry
lemonade moonshine.

This is something different.

I think people would buy it
and pay us good for it.

Turn it this way,
no the other way.
Like that.

We still got to make
a whole lot of alcohol.

-Say, lemonade.
- lemonade.

We didn't really make
nothing last year, you know,

we got to make some
money this year.

well, it's got
a good taste.

I will have no trouble
selling that.

You ready to rock n roll,
my brother?

All right,
let's get this done.

I believe it's cleared
up quite a lot.

It has, looks like it anyway.

this wine,
we've let it sit.

Let the settlements
go to the bottom.

We're gonna siphon it up again

and leave the settlement
behind in the first vessels

that we're pulling from.

You ready?

-Here we go.
- let her roll.

another time
we tell you about that,

she'll be right won't it,
baby?

right as rain, son.

man, this wine is beautiful,

I mean, it's got
that blueberry color

almost like a beet juice,

so to speak
a deep red mahogany color.

You've look right here next...

-You see it.
-See all the floaties
and stuff

-close to the bottom.
- yes, sir, I see it.

yeah, that's what we
don't wanna get in to.

We don't want to lose
the color and the good flavor

of this wine by racking it
a thousand times.

-That was done.
-Let's crack another.

But we don't get all the
yeast out racked off,

it can create hydrogen sulfide
which is that rotten egg smell

and nobody wants
to drink a damn fart.

I tell you what
if they wasn't kidding,

this is a timely process.

Yeah, it takes a long damn
time to do all this, don't it?

just racking it off
is gonna take time.

If you want it to be right.
I guess we gotta

take our time
and do it right. Right?

-That's right. Right.
- right, right, sir.

Once it is washed out.

Last year everything
come to a screaming halt.

This year, everything's
blowing up, going wide open.

People can now afford
a good high end product.

This is going to be
something different

that people are gonna
wanna get their hands on.

This is a fine champagne.

we'll just check these
and see exactly
what we got going on.

champagne should be
right around

12% alcohol by volume,

but the wine itself
needs to be about 10%

because the second
fermentation

that makes our bubbles
will only create

two more percent of abv.

When we mashed in
all these blueberries,

we weren't really concerned
about the alcohol content

because we're just going to
run this through

and make a brandy out of it.

what do you say?

-Proof.
-Uh-huh.

Fair to say.

we are at the moment
of truth right now.

I'm just hoping, like
the bacon's, man this wine

rate around 10% so we can
make this champagne work.

About, five.

About, five.

This stuff set in 5%,
that is way too low.

Over here...

It looks like about eight.

-About eight?
-Yeah.

Yeah, I reckon you're right.

You know, eight percent is
a lot damn closer

to the ten percent
we need to be at.

But still, I don't know
what in the hell

we're gonna do
to make it work.

We got good flavor
across the board.

All we gotta do
is just add a little
fortification juice here.

have it ready
to rock and roll.

where she needs to be.

Jerry comes up with the idea
of putting some brandy

that we've already
run off of these blueberries

into this wine to bring it up
to the ten percent mark.

so, what we're doing here
is we're actually adding our,

our blueberry brandy

to our blueberry wine.

We're actually bringing
the abv up

on our wine, so, it'll be like
a normal champagne

abv would be.

You know,
I'm not wild about

putting brandy in
the champagne

because we sold the brandy
and the champagne separately.

That's more money
in our pockets.

But because this wine
turned out so good,

this gives me and jerry
a unique opportunity.

oh, look at that
pretty stuff.

We're going to bring something
very special

and high end to the market.

It's showing about 10 or 11.

That's what we're looking for.

If we got it just right,
you know, me and jerry,

we don't wanna serve
weak champagne.

We don't want people to say,
you know, that's good,

but it's awful sweet.
There ain't no alcohol there.

This ought to get it done
right here, jerry.

we want to give them
a good little punch

when they take that swallow
out of that glass.

That's blueberry champagne
with a good kick of alcohol.

Cap that bad boy off.

Let him set, let them settle.
We're ready for bottlin'.

next step,
we've got to do
our second fermentation.

We got to put our champagne
yeast in each bottle,

a little extra sugar

that brings the abv
a little bit more,

but creates
the bubbles as well.

Sounds good to me, bubby.

Long, long down process,
but we're making it happen,
ain't we?

we've got it this
far, don't we?

what do you think
city hatty boy?

I say right up front
on the bank

beside that tree.

Easy, I can't see
where I'm going.

you know,
it seemed like
every time we turn around,

we're meeting with
a little bit of reverse force

in this tennessee
whiskey endeavor.

What do you say,
right here, all right?

With this ramp pump,
the biggest problem is

there's such a gradual
flow downstream.

There's just not water
pressure sufficient enough

to make this pump work.

But we've got
an old reservoir.

We think this reservoir,
once it fills up,

we're gonna put enough
pressure down on this to force

the water downstream
a whole lot

quicker and faster and harder.

So, that should get us where
we need to be on this pump.

I know you didn't run in here
on your knuckles last night,

-but I'm gonna
tell you anyhow.
- yeah.

We can't be, uh,

dawdling around up here
too much.

You're officially trespassing
right now.

got 100 gallons
of water here

with down pressure on it.

So, we're hoping it will

give us enough pressure
and volume down at

the ramp pump
that we need.

Let it go!

we wanna see it
right here.

There it goes.

here we go.

If everything works
the way it's supposed to,

we'll see the lower
check valve

close, which in turn will
force water out the outlet,

which will in turn
go up the hill.

So, that's what
we're hoping to see.

that's what
it's supposed to do,
ain't it, daniel?

I'm thinking of validating...

hell yeah.

we've got sufficient
pressure and flow.

Now the task remains to see
if we can get this

water pumped up over this hill
and into the reservoir.

Hey, boys look at this
*bleep*.

-Look at here.
- yeah.

There she comes.

son, that's a heck
of a stream.

been to maine
to Spain, smoked dope,
chewed rope

let's go to the *bleep*
market place

and some still be
all I've ever seen.

you're gonna
go up there or you want me
go up there.

well, I'd love to go
through there,

but you're a damn sight
younger than I am, dan.

well, that's
what I say. I'll go.
I don't care be it.

we just won't go
get our tote set.

We're going to put this
275 gallon tote

at the top of the ridge.

And then from
the outlet side of it,

you know, it's all down hill
from there to the still site.

boy, that's you
making it down

-the liquor.
- well, everybody,
does it.

now you go,
will you, man?

Look at this, this barrel's...

*bleep*

inthe name
of goodness, it all--

it ain't a strong-un,
but it's cold water.

That's all we need,
the trickle.

I bet it'd be pretty much
full overnight.

I mean, that's consistent.
Look at that. Look at that.

We had to go to
all this trouble

because this is the best water
in the world

and we certainly feel

that it's worth it.
We have to have it.

It's gonna do this
around the clock.

We still got to get
the still site

and everything built
mashed in.

Time we're ready
to mash in,

we'll have enough water
in here to mash in.

I bet it'll be
running over by then.

-You ready to get them in
them champagne bottles, bubba?
-Yeah.

you know what,
this wine is clearing up.

It's looking
really, really good.

We racked this stuff
about three times.

I believe it's ready to go
into the bottles now.

we've got this little
bottling tube

and basically a little
check valve right here
on the end of this.

So, when I push it down
the bottle
and hit the bottom,

it starts to flow.

And then when I pull it up,
it stops the flow.

So, every bottle has almost
the same amount
of product in it.

It doesn't take long to do,
does it?

no, just a few seconds
and it's full.

modern day inventions, huh?

Any mountain shiner made

champagne have they.

No.

I think many people has.

we've got 48 bottles of this
champagne bottled up,

and now we've got to put
our champagne yeast

and a little bit of more
sugar in each bottle

and cap them off
with a bottle capper.

Then we can ferment
under pressure which can,

uh, creates your bubble effect
inside of the wine.

A quarter of
a teaspoon of sugar,

a quarter of a teaspoon
of champagne yeast

to each bottle.

If it's not the right amount,

it could not do
anything at all.

It could come out perfect

or you can start
exploding bottles.

the cork on a bottle
of champagne

the bubble that comes out
and pressurizes it.

That's the carbon dioxide.

That's the result of the yeast
eating the sugar

creating the
carbon dioxide gas.

Can't wait to see these
damn bottles bubble up.

You know, these caps that
we're putting on this is just

strictly to be able to do

our fermentation process
under pressure.

We're gonna get rid
of those caps.

Then we'll put
our regular cork

and our wire cage around it

to keep the cork in place
and then it's ready to drink.

hello, sweetheart!

hey, buddy.

What are you doin'?

um, I've been looking online

at a few dresses,
and I think I've found me...

Two.

Um, I think I need some help
deciding though.

Okay, well

it's whatever you want,
baby girl.

and I found a few caterers.

I think, you know, that'll
give us a really good deal.

that's cool,
that is great.

Well, me and jerry,
we're actually

in the middle of our...

Second fermentation on
our blueberry champagne.

oh, is that gonna be
for the wedding?

What, uh...

-Well--
-for the wedding?

I'll need a good bath
after all this, I'm sticky.

that is a good brush.

- shoo!

now you can use
that for other things.

You know, when them chiggers
get all over you, scratch...

- yeah!

-all right, go!

oh, is that gonna be for
the wedding?

What, uh...

-Well--
- for the wedding?

You know, jenna,
she is very particular

about what she wants
for the wedding.

I really wasn't planning on
using the champagne,

but happy wife, happy life,
right?

Yeah, baby, yep, yep.

That's going to be the
champagne for the wedding.

Let me let you go
for a minute.

I need to talk to jerry here.
Okay, love you.

love you, bye.

You know, me and,
me and jenna has been

engaged for a long time.

-Quite a long time.
-Yeah.

But we finally,

you know, settled on a date
to get married.

-Really?
-Yeah, yep.

-Man, that's awesome.
-Yeah, we're fixing and doin'
the thing, brother.

-That's for sure.
-Chicken dinner for you, man.

-Yeah.
-Hell, yeah.

Well, you got to be there.

I know, that's what
I'm sayin'.

You've just been
waiting on a date.

-Waiting on the date.

you told me,
it's gonna to happen.

Yeah, I knew how
excited she is, ain't she?

We can definitely spare
you a couple of bottles

for the, for the toast.

Well, I was thinking
more like, you know,

maybe at least half.

You know,
we're looking to have

at least a 100 guests
at our wedding.

If everybody's going to get
toast or two of this champagne

man, I'm gonna need
at least half
of these rack sitting here.

This is, uh...

In most cases a once
in a lifetime deal,

like, the fourth for me.

This is the...

The last in the lifetime
deal for me.

-And, uh...
-All right, I tell you what.

We can take one half of it
for the wedding

-under one condition.
-What's that?

You have to find us a buyer

to buy the rest of it
at a higher price.

If we got to get double,

at least double out
of the other half.

you know, jerry is kind
of challenging me

to sell the other half
of the champagne,

the one that we're
not taken to the wedding

for double
the price on the bottle

to get the same profit.

You know what we're
going to have to find?

We gonna have to find
that one damn man.

That one damn rich
high roller.

I'll do it, I'll do it.
I'll put it out there.

I'll try to find
the buyer, man.

Let me try to put some money
in our pocket.

You know, the type of customer

you're looking for to
buy a good champagne

is somebody don't mind

spending money
on a good product.

You know, I've got to find
the customer now

that's willing to pay
that kind of price
for the champagne.

-I'll take the challenge
I don't care.
-All right.

here we go?

Kelley, I wanna bring you up

to speed on some stuff that
you ain't got a clue about.

On the other end of this hose

is angus mountain
spring water.

Boy, as good as it
gets right there, bud.

It's the best water
in the world.

We're bringing kelley
and daniel in,

to help with the
tennessee whiskey.

We finally got us
still site set up

with a great source
of limestone water.

So, by bringing in
daniel and kelley,

we can run in shifts

and basically double
our production.

All right, boys,
there is a taste bucket,
yeast.

Amylase enzyme, that's
an important ingredient.

Corn fill that rascal up
three times to that point.

Barley one time on each one
of these each barrel,

rye, to right there just once.

-Is everybody on board?
-Yes, sir.

Barley.

Once we get daniel and kelley
trained up on this recipe...

You dip a bucket
and I'll dip a scoop.

Let's scoop, scoop
we'll get it.

And we see they're ready
to run with it by
their selves.

We're going to run
as much as this

tennessee whiskey as we can
as often as we can.

Let's get some water hot
let's make some mash.

To say this, tennessee whiskey
has been an uphill battle

been an understatement.

We faced obstacle
after obstacle.

Now, we feel like we've got
all that out of the way.

We're going to get busy.

-We're ready to start
pumping water.
-All right.

Ignition.

got any lumps
down there, you feel?

I still got a dam
in the bottom of it,

-I'm getting out there.
-There you go.

yello!

hey man,
what are you doing?

what's up beaz?

um, it's been six months

since we placed that order

for the hundred gallons
of the tennessee whiskey.

You know, toward the end
of last season,

when we finally dialed in
the recipe,

we promised killer beaz
100 gallons

of aged tennessee whiskey
in a six months.

Now, I don't know if
time's moving faster

or if I'm moving slower,

but six months has passed so

it's time to get it to doing.

can I come get that?

okay, well, here's the deal.

We had to take it
to the east coast

to put it on a boat.

you did what?

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.