Is stillin in your family tree?

The long and storied history of distilled spirits.

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SassyFrass
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by SassyFrass »

I reckon it was in my bloodstream when I was conceived. Came down from both sides of the tree. Mom's side made likker in Estill and Rockastle counties and Dad's side made likker in Gallatin county. From some of the stories my Great Grandmother told me when I was a kid, I had a bunch of folks running shine from the hills of Kentucky to the city back in the 20's and later. I don't think any of my cousins are doing it anymore. Most have moved away to various parts of the country away from Appalachia. I moved away and then came back after a couple careers, and retiring again.
My wife's family has more shiners in it than mine does, and is very damn proud of it. her Grandfather delivered mail and corn likker throughout the mountains for years on a mule. Yes, he worked for the USPS as a mailman. LOL
I started TRYING to make likker over 35 years ago. There was No resources like this site back then, so what I learned, I learned from paying attention to the old timers. I thought making likker was as easy as putting corn, water, and yeast in a big pot and cooking it. Didn't know jack about mash or anything else. Old guy named Stan that my family traded horses, work etc... with, saw my still and saved me from killing myself or someone else. He always said "sugar makes the likker, but corn gives it the flavor". Anyway, he was a good guy that got a lot of laughs at my expense, because of some of the goofy shit I did. But even laughing he taught me something on every batch.
Stan helped me find a few "temp" jobs helping out fellows that had large productions which taught me that doing that is something I never want to do. But I did pick up a few nuggets of good info from each of those operations. Funny thing though, everybody's "secret family recipe" was all just a rendition of UJSSM. I wasn't doing anything spectacular for these guys. I was a teenager that got to cut wood, feed fire, stack stuff, carry stuff, etc... but you can pick up knowledge just being around an operation and keeping your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. And I made a few bucks spending money.
To the best of my knowledge none of those fellows were ever busted or even hassled in any way.
So yeah, theres a little stillin' in the family tree.
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W Pappy
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

Great little read there friend,I have come to the conclusion that if they had busted every one that made likker back in the day 80% of the population would have been locked up.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Truckinbutch »

SassyFrass wrote:I reckon it was in my bloodstream when I was conceived. Came down from both sides of the tree. Mom's side made likker in Estill and Rockastle counties and Dad's side made likker in Gallatin county. From some of the stories my Great Grandmother told me when I was a kid, I had a bunch of folks running shine from the hills of Kentucky to the city back in the 20's and later. I don't think any of my cousins are doing it anymore. Most have moved away to various parts of the country away from Appalachia. I moved away and then came back after a couple careers, and retiring again.
My wife's family has more shiners in it than mine does, and is very damn proud of it. her Grandfather delivered mail and corn likker throughout the mountains for years on a mule. Yes, he worked for the USPS as a mailman. LOL
I started TRYING to make likker over 35 years ago. There was No resources like this site back then, so what I learned, I learned from paying attention to the old timers. I thought making likker was as easy as putting corn, water, and yeast in a big pot and cooking it. Didn't know jack about mash or anything else. Old guy named Stan that my family traded horses, work etc... with, saw my still and saved me from killing myself or someone else. He always said "sugar makes the likker, but corn gives it the flavor". Anyway, he was a good guy that got a lot of laughs at my expense, because of some of the goofy shit I did. But even laughing he taught me something on every batch.
Stan helped me find a few "temp" jobs helping out fellows that had large productions which taught me that doing that is something I never want to do. But I did pick up a few nuggets of good info from each of those operations. Funny thing though, everybody's "secret family recipe" was all just a rendition of UJSSM. I wasn't doing anything spectacular for these guys. I was a teenager that got to cut wood, feed fire, stack stuff, carry stuff, etc... but you can pick up knowledge just being around an operation and keeping your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open. And I made a few bucks spending money.
To the best of my knowledge none of those fellows were ever busted or even hassled in any way.
So yeah, theres a little stillin' in the family tree.
:wave: I've got similar stories . Good feeling , ain't it . We did things that folks today can barely imagine . Glad another here shared my experiences .
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by SassyFrass »

Yes TB it is. A lot of my buddies growing up helped out as still hands. It was good folding money for a days work and we were still able to keep up with hay, burley, stock, and everything else that we had to do on our family farms to help the folks out.
Those fellows I did a little work for didn't get busted, but I have ancestors that went to jail or was killed because of it. Some by the law and some by competition. Two of my wife's uncles made the county judge a promise to quit shining back in the 70's. And both have kept their promise. BUT, they both stop by and consult with me when they know I'm cooking. And they both keep a little under the sink for medicinal purposes. lol
My wife comes up with ideas for all kinds of flavors, just to see if it'll work. So I've always got something weird soaking. And she helps me out at the still sometimes. Now she wants to build a still house so I can mash and cook closer to the house and she doesn't have to worry about the weather and me trekking all over the mountains.
Hell, I traded a full days work for my first still when I was 13. Worked can't see to can't see to get that old thing. But I seen it laying in the corner of an old stall all covered up with a tarp. Hauled it home in my cousin's truck. Spent I can't remember how long cleaning it with vinegar and steel wool, because that's what my mom told me would do the best job of cleaning.
I built my current still for less than $70, and that mostly shipping cost. I bought a triclamp attachment assembly online to attach my cap to the keg boiler. Hell of a lot easier than forming a boiler out of copper or SS sheeting and building a cap. I understand why some folks want to buy instead of build, and their are some beautiful and efficient items online, BUT I know every inch of the little girl, how she works, what she needs to operate good, and what went into building her. That doesn't mean she can't surprise me once in awhile, cause she does.
Anyway, I didn't mean to drag on and I got chores to do. Glad ya'll enjoyed a little of my family history.
SF
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Mycotroph »

As a kid my grand dad told me about his dad Shinin' during prohibition to "put shoes on there feet" as well as a couple of his uncles for the same reasons. Growing up on an orchard we made wine every year w/ old family recipes my grand dad always said a good German has a beer after werk. I like to continue that mantra, I"ve been questioned as to why a couple of times in my life and all I can say is "i guess its just family tradition"
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by W Pappy »

ShineRunnah wrote:That's pretty cool. It's always interesting to learn about your heritage. A relative traced our roots back to England, and learned our family came to America on the Mayflower. Definitely learn some interesting stuff from geneology.

As for shiners in my history, haven't found much on that. However, my great aunt married a bootlegger from Tennessee, though he made some shine himself as well. He passed away when I was maybe 12 or 13, so I didn't get to talk to him about it much. But my great aunt has pictures of him from his bootlegging days, loading cases of bottles in the trunk his car, standing beside a huge submarine pot and doing other associated stuff. He was quite the character from what I remember. Wish he was still around to talk to about those days of his past.
Kinda funny you sayin you had relatives that came over on the mayflower so did I. Seen the ships log that has him listed great minds think alike.
Buy the ticket and ride the lightnin boys !!!
Impatience is the root of all bad things in my book of makin likker!
The sound of a thumper is the heart beat of the rebel" Warden Pappy"
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Tater »

W Pappy wrote:
ShineRunnah wrote:That's pretty cool. It's always interesting to learn about your heritage. A relative traced our roots back to England, and learned our family came to America on the Mayflower. Definitely learn some interesting stuff from geneology.

As for shiners in my history, haven't found much on that. However, my great aunt married a bootlegger from Tennessee, though he made some shine himself as well. He passed away when I was maybe 12 or 13, so I didn't get to talk to him about it much. But my great aunt has pictures of him from his bootlegging days, loading cases of bottles in the trunk his car, standing beside a huge submarine pot and doing other associated stuff. He was quite the character from what I remember. Wish he was still around to talk to about those days of his past.
Kinda funny you sayin you had relatives that came over on the mayflower so did I. Seen the ships log that has him listed great minds think alike.
From what Ive been told some mine were here to greet them :D
I use a pot still.Sometimes with a thumper
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by thecroweater »

Can't say as they made shine but they DID have the corn growing......eh :ewink: ......... :sarcasm:
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by rad14701 »

~10% of Americans can trace their ancestry back to the Mayflower... Just like 10% of Americans are left-handed... You're all 10 percenters...!!! :lolno:
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by DSM Loki »

It goes as far back as we can trace on both sides of my family, though it did skip a generation...
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by The Butchers Apron »

I'm not sure if there was any stillin' going on but I'm definitely a descendant of a long line of drunks.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Truckinbutch »

The Butchers Apron wrote:I'm not sure if there was any stillin' going on but I'm definitely a descendant of a long line of drunks.
That works . Band won't play if there's no audience .
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by jedneck »

https://books.google.com/books?id=bodVR ... ner&f=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Guess it is. Soloman Briner is long ago grandfather. He was also settled in the area before it was legal to settle here. Guess I do come from a line of outlaws.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by bitter »

Definitely in my family tree... after church on sunday the boys and men went to the hardware store to have "Corn".. Was a communal thing done once a year... started at the corn harvest. Depending how much corn you put in depending what % the end product you got for the year.

And they supposedly did not drink ;)

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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by raketemensch »

Tater wrote:I do dad did grandpa did and he told me his dad and grand pa did.
Tater, are you a Taintor? (They're pronounced the same way)

Apparently they (the Taintors) came over to the states from Wales in the early 1700s, which, of course, is how whiskey got here as well. I just discovered that my Grandma was a Taintor, which oddly means that my family is one of the oldest families in this tiny little town I live in.

I still haven't found actual links to distilling, but I'm going to keep looking.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Tater »

Not as I know of .Grandmother on dads side people were was from Ireland 1 a Hawkins other a Johnson.Hope to research the family in few years when I semi retire.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Dan P. »

The first person in my family to come to this country (i.e. next island over) came as a fugitive from the law. He had cut somebody's head of with what is called a slane, which is a long thin kind of spade for cutting peat. I don't know if anyone in my family tree had anything to do with distilling, except that I imagine this particular individual was very likely lit up like a Christmas tree on poteen at the time.
Knowing that side of the family the incident was probably the culmination of an argument about the size of a particular raindrop, or something of equal importance.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by DAD300 »

There is no known stilling in my family tree. One grandma made wine occasionally.

But there is plenty of drinking and the stories that go with it!

One Grandmother used to demand a bottle of rum in exchange for rum cookies at Christmas. I finally figured out that almost everyone 10-12 people were bring her fifths of rum.

I asked, How much rum do you use for all these cookies?"
She replied, "About a bottle."
I started, "Then what do you do with all...the ...rest..of..."
She was smiling before I got it all out.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by BourbonStreet »

I grew up in a dry county, (now wet) and always heard stories of bootlegging, etc. I did some research, and apparently my grandpa was involved during the Depression. He was an orphan, so his uncle and aunt up in the hills took him in. Sounds like a movie, but I've found the records, and it's true.

He said they ran 'shine, and they first thought he was a revenuer when he came looking for them! He didn't drink very often from what I remember, but he did use flour paste around the house as glue... :think:

My dad wasn't a big drinker, either, but he would make homemade wine, and it was decent for those days. This was long before homebrewing was legal. He would flip if he saw all the homebrewers around these days! :thumbup:

I got into it a few years ago, and I was like a duck to water. I guess it's in my blood. I really hope my kids will keep the tradition going. :ebiggrin:
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by johnnyreb »

In the very early 1800's my family settled a large portion of two different counties here, both of which are now ''dry", and were very well known across the south for cotton, sugar cane, draft horses, and fine whiskey; until the Yankees came in at the end of the war and seized all the property and burned the plantation buildings. They continued as best they could, which included making whiskey, and during prohibition made quite a sum shipping their product as far North as Chicago, which in fact was verified in the state genealogical archives by a researcher I hired some years ago. My great, great granddaddy, and the grandson of a slave that grew up with him, were both arrested in the early 50's hauling a load. My G,G, granddaddy would later catch pneumonia and die in jail waiting to go before the judge. I learned distilling at a young age from my granddaddy, and one of my primary whiskey recipe's was passed to me, that was passed to him, and so forth.
I started my own children in their teens when they were old enough to understand the risks, and have always strictly ran for two reasons, I love the hobby, passionate about it really, and keeping tradition alive. I've never sold not one drop, and havent bought any commercial liquor in years either. So yes, I guess you could say it's in my family tree.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by WooTeck »

i know my grandfather was born on islay but im not sure if theres any family conection to the whisky of the area.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by Monkeyman88 »

Both my father and his father still distill.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by nerdybrewer »

My 6th Great Grandfather born on Staten Island in 1657 had a license to sell distilled spirits in New Amsterdam (became New York) in 1712 and there is documentation he and others were summoned to appear in Richmond County in 1717 to "show by what authority they retailed".

Don't have any direct proof he was a stiller but he also owned a cattle mark and had land.

Not sure if there have been any other stillers in my family, seems the "Don't tell" rule has been working pretty well.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by singlewhitemalt »

My grandfather his father and uncle made corn liquor. They called it "buck" in his region. Also with the family name coming from Scotland via Ireland; I would be surprised to learn that I was only the third generation to distill whiskey.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by raketemensch »

nerdybrewer wrote:My 6th Great Grandfather born on Staten Island in 1657 had a license to sell distilled spirits in New Amsterdam (became New York) in 1712 and there is documentation he and others were summoned to appear in Richmond County in 1717 to "show by what authority they retailed".

Don't have any direct proof he was a stiller but he also owned a cattle mark and had land.

Not sure if there have been any other stillers in my family, seems the "Don't tell" rule has been working pretty well.
Just imagine raising cattle on Staten Island...
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by nerdybrewer »

raketemensch wrote:
nerdybrewer wrote:My 6th Great Grandfather born on Staten Island in 1657 had a license to sell distilled spirits in New Amsterdam (became New York) in 1712 and there is documentation he and others were summoned to appear in Richmond County in 1717 to "show by what authority they retailed".

Don't have any direct proof he was a stiller but he also owned a cattle mark and had land.

Not sure if there have been any other stillers in my family, seems the "Don't tell" rule has been working pretty well.
Just imagine raising cattle on Staten Island...
Seriously, his land was on what was called "Boks Hill" and from what I've read it was a rocky bit of ground.
His cattlemark was issued in 1694 and it was given to another man in 1722 my ancestor "having some time ago left this county".
In 1722 he would have been 65 years old.
In a document dated 1719 he was listed as a member of the militia, 5 of his grandsons fought for the Revolution.
Tough men, living in hard times, fighting for what they loved.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by goinbroke2 »

ehh...late to the bar once again....

My grandfather on my fathers side came from Scotland in 1902. Far as I know him or Dad drank LOTS but never made anything. (well once in his 50's or so Dad started making beer but that's it)
On my mothers side who came here in the late 1600's, did and still do make beer/wine/shine. Due to being around them after returning from Germany when I was 9, I built my first still when I was 14. By the time I was 18 my cousin and I made a bunch and were selling it in school, a pint cost $8.00 so we sold it for $5 a pint. Cost $12 to make a gallon. After cops raided the school because of all the drunk teenagers/empty pints everywhere we quit. To this day I can go to 7 different stills that are in operation whenever they get low on stock. None of them sell though.
My Mom had 5 brothers and all died from alcohol related issues. Lot of alcohol in my history on my mothers side.

As far as me, my oldest knows what I do and I even showed him some stuff but at 18 he doesn't drink and has no interest. My 14yo knows what I do but I've never told him anything about it, both know to keep their traps shut. When they are older, if they show interest, I'll teach them.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by WooTeck »

WooTeck wrote:i know my grandfather was born on islay but im not sure if theres any family conection to the whisky of the area.
I was talking to my grandfather on the weekend just past. he told me of his father an Irish migrant that struggled to get work in northern inland after the great war as a gardener/handy man. he and his family travelled to Islay and set down roots. he worked in one of the big houses and the area with in walking distance to the ardbeg distillery. story goes that all the workers would wander down to the distillery on Friday morning and get liquored up for free, then go about the daily tasks. when ever the distillery needed extra body's they were there in a heart beat.

no mention if he ever had more to do with stilling than drinking at the distillery and the odd help.
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by UnSub »

I remember as a child seeing a still in my grandfathers garage. He told me it was his fathers and I honestly didn't think about it until I seen this post but- on the census, my great grandfathers listed occupation was barrel maker.. I have no idea where that still ended up either...
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Re: Is stillin in your family tree?

Post by CRACKERCREEK »

I'd say it runs in the family.
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