Chasing Spirits: West Virginia’s Moonshine Map

By Katie Allie

West Virginia is known for its mountains overhead, its coal underfoot and the people who live among its hills. If you’ve been lucky, some of those same people have welcomed you to their homes with a sip or two of moonshine, clandestinely distilled in the mountains by the light of the moon with recipes handed down for generations—until now. Gone are the days when folks were forced to practice their craft in secret. Today, you can get your hands on the legal version of West Virginia moonshine in artisanal distilleries all over the state.

If you’re planning a trip in West Virginia, take a detour to one of these nine Mountain State distilleries, where you can sample years of fine-tuning, get advice on how best to drink the spirit and purchase a mason jar or two to take home and share with friends. If you’re going with a group of people and would like a tour or tasting, it’s considered good manners to call ahead and let them know you’re coming. We can’t think of many better ways to spend a day in the mountains of West Virginia.

Appalachian Distillery
www.appalachian-moonshine.com

Appalachian Distillery was born from the dream of two former West Virginia coal miners who have a family history of moonshine production. This Ripley, WV-based distillery is making waves in the mountains with its variety of moonshine flavors, including Caramel Apple, Strawberry Lemonade and plain Straight Moon. The distillery is open for tours and tastings Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Stop by and see a production style based on how the old-timers did it, and pick up a bottle or two while you’re there.

Black Draft Distillery
www.blackdraftdistillery.com

Named in honor of the owners’ much-loved draft horse, Biscuit, this relatively new distillery has people in the Eastern Panhandle talking thanks to its high-quality, authentic moonshine. Don’t mistake it for the harsh White Lightning you may have passed around a campfire in days gone by, though, because, as the owners say, “This ain’t your college bathtub juice.” In fact, the distillery’s First Harvest Moonshine is made from local, non-GMO corn and blended with Berkeley Springs water. This West Virginia spirits manufacturer is slowly expanding throughout the state and even into Maryland and Washington, D.C., and it’s definitely worth a visit to see the distillery’s inner workings. Black Draft Distillery offers free tours and tastings by appointment on Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Bloomery Plantation Distillery
www.bloomerysweetshine.com

Bloomery Plantation Distillery’s SweetShines offer a bit of a twist on the usual mason jar swig by using a moonshine base and expanding on it to create a host of mouth-watering flavors. From awarding-winning Black Walnut and Pumpkin Spice to the one-of-a-kind Ginger Shine and Chocolate Raspberry, Bloomery’s SweetShines can be sipped or used to mix a wide variety of cocktails. The entire process is done by hand, from growing and zesting the lemons to chopping the ginger, picking the raspberries, making the syrups and creating the labels. Distillery hours are Monday and Thursday, noon-6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., with live music on the weekends from 6-8 p.m.

Forks of Cheat Distillery
www.facebook.com/forks-of-cheat-distillery

Specializing in authentic, small-batch Appalachian spirits, Forks of Cheat Distillery aims to delve into the spirits market with the same level of quality and attention to detail as they have with their now-famous winery. Their moonshine products include Peach and the ever-popular Apple Pie Moonshine, made with West Virginia apples. In addition, they also have other high-end spirits available for sampling at their facility. Tours and tastings of their wine and spirits are available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Hatfield & McCoy Moonshine
www.drinkofthedevil.com

Hatfield & McCoy Moonshine claims theirs is the very first authentic mountain moonshine ever legally produced by the Hatfields and the McCoys. Their small-batch, 150-year-old family moonshine recipe with 100 percent West Virginia-grown corn, distilled in copper kettles, is the stuff of legends, much like their names. They offer regular ‘shine that goes down well neat or mixed with other spirits in cocktails, as well as Peach, Blackberry Cobbler and the ubiquitous Apple Pie. If you stop in for a tour, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., they’ll show you how they do the whole shebang, right down to the hand-bottling and hand-labeling.

Isaiah Morgan Distillery at Kirkwood Winery
www.kirkwood-wine.com/isaiah-morgan-distillery

Things began for Isaiah Morgan Distillery in 2002 when Rodney Facemire obtained a license for the smallest still in the nation, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, guests can take a tour of the distillery Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and get a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making moonshine. Sampling of the distillery’s Southern Moon, along with other whiskey, grappa and bourbon products, is also available. As a long-established part of the West Virginia tourism industry and located close to the state’s whitewater epicenter, it would be foolish to miss them on your next trip through.

Mountain Mama Moonshine
www.facebook.com/kbcdistilling

Fresh entrepreneurial blood on the Logan County business scene, Mountain Mama Moonshine is focused on its community and a quality product. Case in point: their Coal Black Cherry moonshine is specially bottled and labeled in tribute to local West Virginia coal miners. Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Mountain Mama Moonshine provides tours and tastings at their Man facility as well as an opportunity to explore their gift shop for some specialty goods. If you find yourself in this part of the state, stop on by and help support a local production.

Pinchgut Hollow Distillery at Heston Farm
www.hestonfarm.com/distillery

One of the only makers of buckwheat whiskey in the country, Pinchgut Hollow Distillery makes a variety of moonshine-style whiskeys—Apple Pie, Honey Peach, Corn and Buckwheat—in addition to their premium and novelty whiskeys, like Ramp Shine and Rhubarb. Since the distillery is part of the well-established 200-acre Heston Farm facilities, guests can participate in on-site activities, enjoy a tour or even reserve space to host a wedding or corporate event. The owner does most of the distillery tours himself, and guests can get a taste of Pinchgut’s goods in their tasting room Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

RADA Brand Appalachian Spirits at Flying Squirrel Ranch & Farm
www.flyingsquirrelranch.com/distillery

Produced and barreled in small, 20-liter batches, RADA Brand Appalachian Spirits is the result of a true homegrown enterprise. Located at Flying Squirrel Ranch & Farm, the craft distillery may be small but takes enormous pride in its spirits, right down to the water used to distill its products. In addition to RADA’s popular Howlin’ Shine, which is a blend of whiskey, apple brandy and spice, the distillery also offers generous tastings of all their spirits, from brandy to gin. Operating hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., May through November, and if you bring your own bottle, they’ll even fill it to the legal level on-site.