How To Make Flavored Moonshine (9 Different Kinds)

by Libation Staff | Last Updated: October 17, 2021

When you think of moonshine, you probably think about an illegal, backwood-brewed drink made by moonlight, hence the name. However, there is much more to this exciting drink, and it gets a new lease on life with a new generation of moonshine lovers.

Believe us when we say that moonshine is not a drink for your grandpa or quirky uncle to enjoy. Instead, moonshine is now a staple in many cocktails. Mixologists today constantly find new ways to introduce moonshine into blends, and it is now a regular thing to come upon flavored moonshine. 

Whether you call it moonshine, mountain dew, choop, hooch, homebrew, mule kick, shine, white lightning, white liquor, corn liquor, corn whiskey, pass around, firewater or bootleg, this drink has made an impressive comeback and is here to stay.

jar of moonshine on ice

What is Moonshine?

Moonshine is the drink produced during the Prohibition era when alcohol production and consumption were made illegal by the US Government. People made a mash from grains, starches, and fruits; basically, all ingredients contain sugar fermented and converted into alcohol. 

The distillation of the mash produces the drinkable liquor, and because it was done by moonlight, the product was named moonshine. The liquid is distilled several times to achieve the clarity, purity, and high alcohol content this drink is known for. 

While today moonshine is no longer illegal, the name stuck, and now people make moonshine in plenty of varieties, which we’ll discuss more below. We’ll also include recipes on how you can make flavored moonshine at home using ingredients you already have in the house.

Flavored Moonshine Using Everclear

Yes, you are reading this correctly; you can use Everclear to make a homemade flavored brew. Everclear is grain alcohol with very high alcohol content, and it is considered an unfinished product, which makes it ideal for use as a base for homemade flavored brews.

There is no unique stuff necessary, as you only need a bunch of good fruit, sugar, clean jars, and alcohol. You can use peaches, blueberries, pineapple, blackberries, or whatever you have accessible near you. Wash and prepare the fruit, cleaning, removing the pits, and cutting up whatever needs cutting. Place the fruit into clean jars, for example, one jar of peaches, one jar with blueberries, and whatever fruit you are using. 

Add the sugar; how much you use depends on the amount of fruit you have, but as a general rule of thumb, it is one cup fruit to one spoon sugar. Pour in your alcohol; you can use Everclear or vodka, fill up the jars and close them tightly. Shake well for the sugar to dissolve and leave them in a cool, dark place. Shake occasionally and check the flavor until you are satisfied with it. Once it is done, or in about a month, you can strain out the liquid and have your own fruit-flavored liqueur, and you can serve the alcohol-infused fruit with your favorite cocktails as a garnish.

We suggest you use Everclear instead of vodka, as Everclear is pure grain alcohol without any added flavorings, and it is the closest thing to moonshine you can get. If you get the high-strength version, you need to dilute it to the strength you need. In case you are using vodka, it is already diluted to the proper ABV. Here are some more recipes for making homemade flavored moonshine.

How To Make Strawberry Moonshine?

Strawberry moonshine is such a potent reminder of summer, and you can sip it straight or mix it with sparkling water for a refreshing cocktail. Here is a general recipe you can use, and you can substitute the strawberries with any fruit:

Wash the fruits, removing leaves and stems, and thinly slice them to have a more exposed surface. Fill the mason jars up to 2/3 full, and add a spoon of sugar and top up the jars with Everclear. Close the lids tightly and shake well to help dissolve the sugar. Place the jars in a dark, cool place for about a month, and occasionally shake to help the infusion. When you decide the moonshine is to your taste, strain the liquid and store it in a fresh jar or a bottle. You now have a refreshing strawberry moonshine liqueur that you can enjoy in many varieties.

How To Make Lemonade Moonshine?

A perfect summer combo – moonshine tasting like homemade lemonade, and here is how you can make this refreshing summer drink at home:

First, you need to warm the water, sugar, and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool down and add the moonshine and pour the mix in mason jars. Chill and serve as soon it is ice-cold for a perfect summer refreshment at your next barbeque party.

How To Make Lemondrop Moonshine?

If you are a fan of the sweet-sour taste of hard lemon drop candy, you can infuse this flavor with moonshine and enjoy a refreshing summer delicacy:

First, you need to warm the water, sugar, and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool down, add the moonshine, and pour the mix into mason jars, adding 2-3 hard candies to each jar. Chill and serve, or leave it for a more intensive lemon drop flavor.

How To Make Watermelon Moonshine?

It is entirely possible to crush watermelon, make it into a mash and distill it, making moonshine with a distinct flavor. However, we’ll discuss the more straightforward cocktail infusion method instead of, the more complex distillation process. 

Combine crushed ice, about ten watermelon cubes, the fresh lemon juice, and moonshine, close the shaker and shake vigorously. Add in the lemonade and seltzer and pour into two glasses. Garnish the glass and serve it. The beauty of the watermelon moonshine is that it is a ready-made cocktail reminding you of summer.

How To Make Apple Pie Moonshine?

To make apple pie moonshine, you will need applejack moonshine. To do this, you need to make apple fruit mash and distill this to get a slightly flavored moonshine. Of course, here we’ll talk about simpler processes and tell you how to infuse moonshine with apple pie spices for an evocative flavor.

Heat the cider, apple juice, and sugar until the sugar dissolves completely, and leave the liquid to cool down. Add the moonshine, pour it into mason jars, add one cinnamon stick per mason jar and close them tightly. This drink can be consumed immediately or left longer if you want a more spicy cinnamon taste.

How To Make Blueberry Moonshine?

Yes, you can make blueberry moonshine and capture that perfect, complex fall flavor of blueberries, vanilla, and cinnamon. To do this, you will need:

Warm up the blueberry juice, blueberries, and cinnamon sticks in a large pot, and add is the sugar and blueberry pie filling, and leave it to simmer for about half an hour. Leave it to cool, then add in the vanilla and Everclear. Pour the mixture into mason jars and close tightly. Allow the infusion to work its magic for a few days—strain before you serve your homemade blueberry moonshine.

How To Make Cherry Moonshine?

You can also use cherries to make a potent moonshine that tastes like the first summer days. Here is the recipe:

Put the cherry juice, cherries in syrup, and sugar in a pot and heat until the sugar completely dissolves. Allow it to cool to room temperature and mix in the Everclear. Pour the liquid into mason jars, close them tightly and store them in a dark, cool place. You can serve it with a dash of seltzer or ginger ale for some bubbles and always serve it over ice.

How To Make Blackberry Moonshine?

You can make your own blackberry mash and distill a genuine blackberry moonshine or use our recipe for a faster alternative. Here is the recipe for a blackberry syrup-based moonshine:

Boil the sugar with the water and a part of the blackberries, leaving the syrup to cool to room temperature. Add the rest of the blackberries into two mason jars, divide them evenly, and add the syrup, lemon, and lime zest. Top up the jars with Everclear, close them tightly, and leave them in a cool, dark place for a few days, shaking the jars occasionally. Strain the liquid and transfer it into a fresh mason jar, and chill before serving.

How To Make Honey Moonshine?

Honey moonshine is also known as honey shine and is made from the honey-based mash and distilled to high purity and proof. If you are looking to make a honey mead or honey moonshine, here is one recipe you can follow:

Blend one-gallon honey with 3 gallons of water in a large pot and heat to about 160 degrees until the honey dissolves. Add in the remaining water (2 gallons), cool to 70 degrees, and add in the yeast. Pour the mash into a fermentation jar, cover the mouth with a cheesecloth, and allow it to ferment until the bubbling stops. Distill the mash to the desired proof and purity.

How To Make Pineapple Moonshine?

For this recipe, you will need a crockpot, pineapple juice, sugar and Everclear

Heat the pineapple juice and sugar into the crockpot, leave it to simmer on low for about two hours. Allow it to cool and add in the Everclear, then chill it well and serve your perfect refreshing cocktail.

To Wrap Up

There you have it, guys, several recipes on how to make flavored moonshine at home. A well-made flavored moonshine is a true delight and can make you the star host for parties, summer gatherings, and barbeques.  Of course, don’t let the recipes here limit your imagination, as you can try your hand at using some more exotic fruits and make new moonshine flavors.