Why is making moonshine illegal?

Making moonshine—a term that can refer to any illicitly distilled liquor—is illegal primarily because of the significant health hazards homemade alcohol poses. Unregulated production environments can introduce dangerous contaminants and faulty distillation techniques may leave methanol, a poisonous alcohol capable of causing blindness or death, in the liquor. Such dangers came to the fore during Prohibition, when the pressure to produce alcohol illicitly and quickly led to the distribution of low-quality moonshine that injured and even killed some consumers.

Another reason for the illegality of moonshine is tax evasion. Legal distilleries are required to pay taxes on the alcohol they produce, which contributes to government revenue. By operating outside the law moonshiners avoid these taxes, leading to financial losses for the government. People made moonshine to avoid taxes during the Whiskey Rebellion in the late 18th century, when farmers protested against the federal excise tax on distilled spirits.

Today some spirits labeled as “moonshine” are sold commercially in the United States. These are liquors made in licensed distilleries that are similar to, or use the same recipes as, the region’s traditional moonshine, which is often a form of unaged whiskey.