Whiskey Book Review: More Mountain Spirits

Last month I reviewed the excellent book Mountain Spirits by Joseph Earl Dabney. It was such an entertaining book that I jumped right into reading its sequel, appropriately titled More Mountain Spirits. The lengthy and descriptive subtitle of More Mountain Spirits is "The Continuing Chronicle of Moonshine Life and Corn Whiskey, Wines, Ciders & Beers in America's Appalachians." That's a mouthful of a subtitle, but it does get you thinking that maybe there's more to drink in them thar hills than just 'clear corn likker.'

In his second volume of moonshine history, Dabney does tell tales of apple cider, elderberry wine, tomato beer, and pumpkin gin. His descriptions of these concoctions make for interesting tidbits, and prove the point that folks will make booze out of just about anything they can get their hands on. However, as you read through the book you can tell that the author's true interest is still with corn-based (and later sugar-based) moonshine. He spends most of the book going into detail about corn whiskey, its production process, the men and women who make it and sell it, and the 'revenooers' who hunt the moonshiners in a comical game of cat-and-mouse.

Many of the anecdotes in More Mountain Spirits are simply elaborations or retellings from Mountain Spirits, but there's enough fresh information to make it worth a quick read. Especially informative is the in-depth section on different types of stills and various production processes used by moonshiners. There's even a step-by-step plan for building your own mini-still from scratch. The pictures alone make this book a priceless addition to your 'whiskey library.'