Researching Appalachia

When researching alcohol distillation in Appalachia for my exploratory essay, I found out some things about the tradition beyond simply making liquor.  I first found that the act of making alcohol came from a need to secure more funds from the small amount of corn they harvested from their farm land, so instead of just selling it, they would distill liquor from it and sell it for more money.  When Prohibition was enacted, they continued to make it because it was tradition, and also because for some, it was the only way to make a real income.

In the commercial and noncommercial liquor industry, the same beginning applies.  A family would start moonshining to make a little more money then would pass it down to the next generation.  I do not really see this as a matter of business or rebellion, although it is in a sense, but more it is a matter of pride and family tradition.  I think that liquor distillation is a tradition that can bring about a sense of bonding, self-reliance, and pride.