Newspaper Question: Is it ethical to accept a jug of moonshine as a gift from a friend?

Roanoke Times ^

[AppyPappy]

This is a weekly question in the Roanoke Times. Send your response to rightorwrong@roanoke.com. Include your name, address and phone. Or just save the wear and tear and post it here.

[Lion Den Dan]

Yes

[Rustynailww]

no. contact me for pickup.

[gatex]

The only illegality of producing moonshine is the federal license was not obtained and the tax was not paid, if producing as a business. I tasted moonshine many times when I was growing up.

[cibco]

Send it to me for a quality check. Can't be too safe ya know!

[Hard Case]

It would be unethical not to. I volunteer for any QA necessary.

[lodwick]

You beat me to it! LOL

If there is any doubt, send me the rest to me, for quality assurance purposes only, JL

[Drew68]

I would be less concerned about ethics and more concerned about blindness. I'd only accept moonshine from someone whom I trusted knew what he was doing when he distilled the stuff.

Than again, you could always use it as a glass cleaner or paint varnish.

[strela]

A conditional yes. If the distiller uses a vehicle radiator or any sort of lead piping to prepare his product, the answer is most definitely no. I wish to keep at least some of my eyesight before I shuffle off this mortal coil, and consuming lead-filtered or ethylene glycol-contaminated busthead will most definitely make that difficult if not impossible to accomplish.

If distilled and stored properly, with a minimum of fusel oil and/or Prestone in the finished product, a jug of 'shine and your firearm of choice shared with good friends can be a thing of beauty and a joy on a Saturday night.

[SamAdams76]

Moonshine is commonly known as the production of corn whiskey without a permit. It is commonly produced in private homes for personal consumption and distribution though at one time, moonshine was produced on a larger scale for widespread distribution in order to circumvent the 18th Amendment to the Consitution which prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages.

Since the repeal of this amendment, pockets of "prohibition" still exist, especially in "dry counties" across the Bible Belt. Though even individuals in these dry counties and obtain labeled, quality alcoholic beverages outside the county for consumption in their own homes, a small demand still exists for the moonshine, if only for nostaglic reasons.

Therefore the production of moonshine, while technically illegal, is a rather innocuous act if it is produced only for personal consumption and for gifts to friends and relatives. However, if this "illegal" moonshine is being peddled for profit in areas designated as dry, I can see where law enforcement might get involved. Otherwise, we should just leave them alone.

[verity]

"If distilled and stored properly, with a minimum of fusel oil and/or Prestone in the finished product, a jug of 'shine and your firearm of choice shared with good friends can be a thing of beauty and a joy on a Saturday night."

However, Sunday morning is another matter!

[eastforker]

I regularly accept a jug twice a year from a dear friend when at the cookoff.Add a leaf of mint or other flavoring of your choice.

[tinacart]

My daddy never gave it away, there was a price... However, we had to close the family business in Tennessee when I was very young. I haven't been able to find a good place for a still here in Kalifornicate yet :)

[eastforker]

I know this is off topic but I heard on the local news this morning that a 65 year old disarmed a carjacker,broke the guys finger doing it and in the process the carjacker shot himself.After taking the gun away he beat him about the head and eyes with the gun to teach him a lesson.The thug ran away but was caught by police.Turns out the old man was the retired body gaurd of Phillipine Ferdinand Marcos.

[PolyVinyl]

the moonshines in the dessert
it is pretty
it makes me love every one
mister likes moonshine
he lays on the sand and drinks it from the hoze
it looks like this

it makes him mad
I agree with moonshine
but I do'nt like ethical
it makes me sleepy
and to giggle.

[strela]

However, Sunday morning is another matter!

Heh. That's what God (or some pharmaceutical company) invented Orudis KT for.

[strela]

I regularly accept a jug twice a year from a dear friend when at the cookoff.

You are lucky. There aren't many entrepreneurs still making 'shine around here. The only one I've heard about uses an old truck radiator in his still, and no one who values their eyesight drinks his product.

My father's first job in the late 20s in Georgia was manning a .50 caliber overlooking a still run by friends of his. He earned 50 cents a week cash money and a quart of double-rectified busthead every day when the still was running (he had to bring his own jug though). My great-grandmother used the stuff to treat her rheumatiz (the family curse) and sold the rest to pay the light bill and keep the family Model T in tires and gas.

If you weren't thirsty, the stuff was a great paint thinner.

Add a leaf of mint or other flavoring of your choice.

My father highly recommended a Bromo and an ice bag the morning after ...

[DAnconia55]

Yes.

Breaking immoral laws is ethical.

[cibco]

No problem. From my experience, just a little goes a loooong ways... I'm sure there would be leftovers. ;0)

[Hank Rearden]

The government doesn't own us. Screw them, and drink up!