TV star distils moonshine legally in Virginia

The lead protagonist in the Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners show has at last been granted permission to have his whiskey made legally in his home state of Virginia.

Moonshiners’ star granted permission to produce moonshine legally in Virginia, US

Tim Smith has partnered with Belmont Farm Distillery in Culpeper to distil his moonshine recipe, which will be sold at the state’s liquor stores from 1 July.

“Tim Smith has always wanted to go legal and we finally got it done and are going to make Tim Smith Climax Moonshine right here in Virginia,” Belmont Farm owner Chuck Miller told Fredriksburg News.

Miller was the first person in the US to be granted permission to make moonshine legally in 1987, and has since been featured on TV and other media sources.

Smith said: “Chuck was somebody I looked up to because I always wanted to bring a legal moonshine to the market. He’s the first craft distiller.

“He started 26 years ago. He sort of broke the ice with the state and federal government.”

Miller currently makes two types of his own whiskey at Belmont Farm, Kopper Kettle Virginia Whiskey and pain and flavoured editions of Virginia Lightning whiskey, including apple pie and cherry.

Smith has been visiting Belmont Farm to work with Miller on his Climax Moonshine, which has been captured on camera by his TV crew and will be broadcast when the fourth season of Moonshiners airs later this year in October.

Regulations on what is widely considered an illegal operation are relaxing in certain parts of the US, with moonshine now available in 13 states.

Smith had also agreed deals to produce his moonshine at Asheville Distillery in Asheville North Carolina, and Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, before also winning approval in Virginia.