Distilling Tradition The Traditionalization of Craft Moonshine at Bear Wallow Distillery
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Abstract
Moonshine has traditionally been defined by the illicit nature of its production. Increasingly micro-distilleries are basing their business on the production of “legal moonshine”—legally produced un-aged whiskey labelled by the distillers as moonshine. This paper draws primarily on ethnographic work at Bear Wallow Distillery to understand how the owners create a destination distillery by connecting their legal moonshine and distillery experience to a local moonshining tradition and a broader rural American imaginary. It will also explore issues of traditionalization and commodification of heritage through examining how micro-distilleries rely on a perceived connection with an “authentic” moonshine tradition even as they seek to challenge traditional definitions of moonshine in the development of their own moonshining tradition.
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