Modern Moonshine: The Revival of White Whiskey in the Twenty-First Century
Dr. Cameron D. Lippard, Department of Sociology and Dr. Bruce E. Stewart, Department of History
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
4:30 p.m.
Reich College of Education, Room 124A
The craft of making moonshine—an unaged white whiskey, often made and consumed outside legal parameters—nearly went extinct in the late twentieth century as law enforcement cracked down on illicit producers, and cheaper, lawful alcohol became readily available. Yet the twenty-first century has witnessed a resurgence of artisanal distilling, as both connoisseurs and those reconnecting with their heritage have created a vibrant new culture of moonshine. While not limited to Appalachia, moonshine is often entwined with the region in popular understandings.
The first interdisciplinary examination of the legal moonshine industry, “Modern Moonshine” probes the causes and impact of the so-called moonshine revival. What does the moonshine revival tell us about our national culture? How does it shape the image of Appalachia and rural America? Focusing mostly on southern Appalachia, the book’s eleven essays chronicle such popular figures as Popcorn Sutton and explore how and why distillers promote their product as “traditional” and “authentic.” This edited collection draws from scholars across the disciplines of anthropology, history, geography and sociology to make sense of the legal, social and historical shifts behind contemporary production and consumption of moonshine, and offers a fresh perspective on an enduring topic of Appalachian myth and reality.
Dr. Bruce E. Stewart is an associate professor of history at Appalachian State University. He is the author or editor of several books, including “Moonshiners” and “Prohibitionists: The Battle over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia.”
Dr. Cameron D. Lippard is a professor of sociology at Appalachian. He is the author or editor of several books, including “Building Inequality: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration in the Atlanta Construction Industry” and “Untapped: Exploring the Cultural Dimensions of Craft Beer” (West Virginia University Press).
This event is sponsored by the Appalachian State University University Bookstore.
"The University Bookstore is interested in supporting our faculty authors and creating a forum for those with newly published works to share their insights and experiences in writing and publishing with our campus community," said John Pearce, Scholars Bookshop Manager, University Bookstore.
The primary mission of the University Bookstore is to provide students and their families, faculty, staff and alumni, with goods and services to support the educational goals of the institution. Additionally, the bookstore's purpose is to generate funds to support student scholarships. This is accomplished by offering a variety of products from socially and environmentally responsible sources.
For questions, please contact Trixie Wilkie at 828-265-8601 or email at wilkiete@appstate.edu.
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About the Department of History
The Department of History offers a broad curriculum in local, national, regional and world history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, which encourages history majors to develop a comprehensive approach to human problems. The study of history is an essential part of a liberal arts education and offers valuable preparation for many careers, such as law, journalism, public history, public service and business, as well as in teaching and the advanced discipline of history. Learn more at https://history.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Sociology
The Department of Sociology offers a Bachelor of Arts and six Bachelor of Science concentrations (applied research methods; criminology; deviance and law; families and intimate relationships; gerontology; social inequalities; and individually designed, which requires departmental approval). The department also offers minors in sociology and gerontology, plus two online graduate certificates in gerontology and sociology. Learn more at https://soc.appstate.edu.
Modern Moonshine book cover
Modern Moonshine book cover