Hidden within an enclave of chicken coops and barns lies a carefully crafted art form a notorious crime - the most deeply rooted business in southern Virginia.
Moonshine is an industry that conjures up images of ragged and toothless hillbillies drinking around a still. In reality, however, it's as much a part of southern culture as Wall Street is a part of New York.
In the last month and a half, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms asserted that manufacturing of moonshine slowed dramatically as a result of Operation Lightning Strike. The two-year investigation and bust convicted 27 people of eluding the $13.50 per gallon federal excise tax on distilled spirits and mash.
Farmers Exchange in Rocky Mount, which is Virginia's primary supplier of raw materials, was also targeted and shut down. The ATF estimated a loss of 1.4 million gallons of untaxed liquor and $19.6 million in tax revenue between 1992 and 1999.
Despite legal threats, Southerners claim that moonshine production is still in progress. They are confident that the business will eventually be in full swing once again.
Suzanne Palmer, a first-year College student and southwestern Virginia native agrees that, because of its underground nature, the moonshine trade will never die.
"There are three moonshine stills back behind my house in the woods... and two of them are, well, not in use," she said.
But the other remains in operation.
The moonshine struggle dates back to the Whisky Rebellion of 1794 when Scots-Irish settlers rebelled against a federal excise tax on whiskey. As a result, the settlers illegally began making their own liquor. The industry flourished during Prohibition and later served as a primary source of income during the Depression.
Moonshine is primarily born out of all natural ingredients like water, sugar, bran and yeast. Its name derives from the moonlight that nurtures its growth, but "lights you up like sunshine," said fourth-year College student Adam Flora, also from southwest Virginia. Many moonshiners add a special twist or ingredient to their recipes for distinct taste.
Still, University students are divided on the issue based on their native regions of the country. Fourth-year College student, Steve O'Connor, a New Yorker, disagrees with the trade.
"Dodging taxes is a federal offense no matter how minor it seems," he said. "I don't think it's right that it has gone on this long."
However, former moonshine manufacturer Allen "Jed" Robertson claims that while moonshine is manufactured in the South, most of the liquor is shipped to northern customers.
"There's something you have to understand about the business," Robertson said. "Moonshining in this area is learned from family and not considered a dishonorable form of income. There's a code of honor within this tightknit community."
This code of honor also includes using only hand signals and whistles while in the woods, according to Robertson. When making and trading moonshine, code words such as white lightning, ruckus juice and hillbilly pop are used as aliases. The moonshine industry, somewhat of a rural mafia, holds tacit rules of operation.
In Franklin County, a rural area in southwestern Virginia, a team of brothers dubbed the "Stanley Clan" is infamous for receiving a large number of arrests as well as acquittals for illegal moonshine distillation.
"The amount of crime they've been associated with is incredible," Rocky Mount resident and first-year College student Sara Smith said. "They've swindled the government out of so much money by now, they're virtually unstoppable."
The tradition is a source of pride and rich heritage to many southern University students. Residents of Franklin County are proud to call their county "The Moonshine Capital of the World."
"Ten cows per person doesn't leave much to place us on the map with, Palmer said. "It puts us in the spotlight."
Ultimately, despite the legal risks and misconceptions, moonshiners insist they are in the business to preserve their beloved beverage and not to make a quick buck.
As Robertson explains, "Granted, you can make 100 percent profit if you wanted, but it's more than that. It's about the South. It is a legacy of independence"
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