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Jars
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:56 pm
by Serenity
Why is moonshine kept in jars?
Maybe its not an American original idea and may have travelled across with Irish immigrants, in which case, im sure it was easier for the average bog dwelling Irish shiner to come across bottles than jars which were used for food storage. Your average Irish family were too poor to have store bought food in jars but bottles were everywhere.
Any ideas?
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:35 am
by Bushman
The following was taken from an article I read "Mason jar turns 150":
"The Mason jar is pretty much bonded with the image of moonshine," said Matthew Rowley, who wrote a book about corn liquor called "Moonshine!"
Cole shared a few urban legends about Mason jars and moonshine, which got a chuckle out of Rowley.
In one story, moonshiners traveled to Indiana to ask the Ball company to make 56-ounce jars in addition to the 64-ounce jars so they could save 8 ounces on every jar. In another, moonshiners told Ball company executives that squared-off jars would be a lot easier to stack in their trunk than the original round ones.
Rowley took those stories with a grain of salt, but he doesn't downplay the importance of the Mason jar in the illegal moonshine industry. They are, in some ways, synonymous with quality.
During the Depression, men and women who sold a little moonshine on a small scale to make ends meet were said to be working the "fruit jar trade" or the "Mason jar trade," he said. Today, large-scale moonshiners sell their stuff in big, plastic jugs, but those who still bottle it in Mason jars represent the "craft distillers," if you will.
"That alcohol starts to leach out chemicals, taste and aromas from the plastic, and it devolves," Rowley said. "It's 'spitting whiskey' -- so bad that its only purpose is to spit it into a bonfire so it explodes."
In a clear Mason jar, serious moonshine lovers can see the clarity. They can see that they are drinking something pure, clear, free of bugs and bubbling like a true 100-proof whiskey.
Mason jars are so crucial to the moonshine image, in fact, that as legal versions of white lightning continue to emerge on liquor store shelves, many are packaged and sold in Mason jars.
"There are a whole lot more moonshine or legal spirits that sort of feed off that Mason jar imagery and heritage now than even just a few years ago," Rowley said.
I particularly like the part about the jars being clear so one can see the clarity!
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:14 am
by Suburban Guy
That is an interesting read.
I was thinking it had more to do with mason jars being inexpensive and readily available back in the day, this due to the fact that canning was such a predominant way of storing foods. So, what better container for the ol’ boys to start using, no?
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:33 am
by hackware
my 2cents...
mason jars were just available, and did not raise suspicions of the law...
everybody canned their food back then, so a few boxes of masons were no big deal...
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:36 am
by Suburban Guy
hackware wrote:my 2cents...
mason jars were just available, and did not raise suspicions of the law...
everybody canned their food back then, so a few boxes of masons were no big deal...
Yeah, +1, they were cheap and they were there...
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:58 am
by blind drunk
I've done studies ... I think hooch tastes mo better out of a jar than out of a bottle
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:15 am
by LWTCS
blind drunk wrote:I've done studies ... I think hooch tastes mo better out of a jar than out of a bottle
Yes,,,,,,,,,
I have a scientific formula round here somewhere (in my desk drawer) that specifically details how this is so..........somewhere round here
Re: Jars
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:32 pm
by rtalbigr
blind drunk wrote:I've done studies ... I think hooch tastes mo better out of a jar than out of a bottle
If ya ever partake on another "study" I'd be glad to add my "two cents." I've "studied" quite a number of jars myself.
Big R