Paul Kushner
Known as hooch, homebrew, and firewater, Moonshine came about as a clandestinely brewed hard liquor sold illegally during prohibition.
Moonshine encompasses all types of whiskey, using sugar, grains, and water to create a highly alcoholic spirit.
The name “moonshine” comes from the night-time hours during which it was distilled, a tactic bootleggers used to avoid getting caught.
Currently, distilleries produce various types of moonshine, upholding those same clandestine practices without penalties.
The next time you grab a bottle of moonshine, check out my list of moonshine cocktails to try at home.
Apple Pie Moonshine Cocktail
This delicious cocktail tastes like apple pie in liquid form and is the perfect cocktail to ring in the fall season.
Blending apple pie moonshine with apple juice, cinnamon simple syrup, and lemon juice, this cocktail uses the same ingredients as apple pie.
It has a nice spicy finish thanks to the alcohol and cinnamon.
Moonshine Margarita
This refreshing and bright moonshine margarita is a cross between a margarita and a Paloma.
Instead of white tequila, this cocktail calls for white whiskey, a crude unaged whiskey that tastes as strong as you’d expect a moonshine to taste.
Its harsh alcohol gives a strong finish to a blend of citrus juices and grapefruit soda.
Thyme to Shine
This cleverly named cocktail is as bright and herbaceous as its title suggests.
Blending the moonshine of your choice with earthy thyme simple syrup, bright lemon juice, and orange bitters, the Thyme to Shine is a complex moonshine sour.
The piece de resistance is the egg white stirred in for a frothy head.
Moonshine Mule
A moonshine twist on the classic vodka cocktail, this Moonshine Mule requires extra ginger to reconcile swapping neutral vodka for harsh moonshine.
That’s why you muddle a few slices of fresh ginger before adding the spirit, lime juice, and ginger beer.
Fresh ginger makes all the difference, adding a spiciness that stands up to alcohol-forward moonshine.
Blackberry Sage Hard Lemonade
This Blackberry Sage Hard Lemonade is the perfect summertime refresher.
It is a simple three-ingredient cocktail that combines blackberry-infused moonshine with lemonade and a splash of soda for a refreshing carbonated finish.
Sage is a garnish, but it adds an earthy aroma to compliment the tart sweetness of this spiked lemonade.
Bittersweet Moonshine
This bittersweet moonshine showcases the ultimate bittersweet fruit, the grapefruit.
It blends moonshine with pure Ruby Red grapefruit juice. Of all the grapefruit varieties, Ruby Red is the sweetest.
To accentuate the bittersweetness of grapefruit juice, this cocktail uses simple syrup and Aperol.
The Bittersweet Moonshine is a refreshing and elegant cocktail that is perfectly balanced and a great addition to your winter happy hour.
Basil Peach Moonshine Cocktail
Peaches are the ultimate summer fruit, and they deliver a powerfully sweet and juicy punch to any drink.
This summer cocktail muddles fresh peaches with fresh basil to create a sweet and herbaceous foundation for the moonshine of your choice.
This is an easy cocktail to make, shaking all ingredients before straining it into a lowball glass.
Epcot’s Blackberry Moonshine Sour
Epcot’s Blackberry Moonshine Sour is a rich, high-end cocktail that will wow even the most pretentious of drinkers.
Using both blackberry moonshine and blackberry syrup, this Moonshine sour has an intense berry flavor.
Lemon juice and blood orange sour mix add a sour citrus kick that makes this cocktail a refreshing summertime drink.
Sex In The Woods
This moonshine twist on the classic Sex on the Beach replaces vodka with moonshine.
The harsh alcohol-forward palate of moonshine works well with peach schnapps, cranberry, and orange.
It lessens the sweetness without losing the fruity flavors of the liqueurs and juices.
It doesn’t require any fancy equipment to whip up Sex In the Woods, just a tall glass and a stirrer.
Key Lime Pie Moonshine Cocktail
Key limes are a prized Florida crop that is a sweeter variety of the larger classic limes.
This Key Lime Pie Moonshine Cocktail uses fresh key lime juice with vanilla simple syrup and moonshine for a seductive and aromatic summer drink.
It offers a lovely balance of sweet and sour with a dessert-like finish from the vanilla.
Strawberry Jam + Moonshine
Using jam is a great way to avoid shelling out for simple syrup and fresh fruit, and this strawberry jam and moonshine cocktail is as fresh and fruity as can be.
It uses a few spoonfuls of strawberry jam to infuse white whiskey with a sweet berry flavor.
Meyer lemon juice adds a delicately sweet and sour citrus flavor to round it all out.
Rainier Cherry Peach Moonshine Cocktail
Cherries and peaches are two fruits that are synonymous with summer.
This delicious summer cocktail muddles whole rainier cherries with fresh peaches, to create the richest juice you spike with moonshine.
The vanilla simple syrup adds even more richness, bringing this fruity cocktail into the dessert realm.
Cheers!
The days of bootlegging are a thing of the past.
You can buy moonshine in many forms from famous distillers at your local liquor store.
My list of moonshine cocktails gives you great options for every season.
Let me know which moonshine cocktail was the winner with your guests in the comments below.
12 Moonshine Cocktail Recipes
Ingredients
- Apple Pie Moonshine Cocktail
- Moonshine Margarita
- Thyme to Shine
- Moonshine Mule
- Blackberry Sage Hard Lemonade
- Bittersweet Moonshine
- Basil Peach Moonshine Cocktail
- Epcot's Blackberry Moonshine Sour
- Sex In The Woods
- Key Lime Pie Moonshine Cocktail
- Strawberry Jam + Moonshine
- Rainier Cherry Peach Moonshine Cocktail
Instructions
- Pick your favorite recipe
- Gather all the needed ingredients
- Prep a tasty cocktail in less than 5 minutes
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