Moonshine bar Q

When I first joined this site there was a moonshine section (I think) and I know it's gone now but I respect the knowledge of the people on this site and thought I would bat around this idea because I don't know of its been done or can be done but here it goes. I live in the ozarks in the heart of hillbilly land where I make beer and am ridiculed almost every time I open my mouth About making beer. Lol so I figure I want to open a bar one day but I know that nobodies gonna enjoy what I do but everyone around here puts moonshine on a pedestal and i know if someone had a place with a still sitting behind the bar they will show up from all around so I figure I know a guy who can make some sweet lightning so he could run the still and we would serve our own shine and I will sneak in a nice beer and wine list for the more refined drinkers in the area. So does the shine house exist ? can it be done ?in Missouri can it be done ?in some states? And for anyone saying hey do you really want ppl that drunk well I'm contemplating a limit on shine drinks an hour

You need a license to distill and sell moonshine legally since it is technically a whiskey. It's called moonshine because it's illegal and usually made at night, under the light of the moon. I've known a few people here in Tennessee look into it, and it typically takes quite a large amount of money for legal fees and formation of the company and the equipment and all the other miscellaneous stuff that goes along with it. Unless you sell it in bulk, it will be hard to make a profit. I'm guessing you would need to sell a glass for at least 10 bucks? I can go buy mason jars for $20 of white lightning, so I wouldn't be interested in that. I'd be much more interested in homebrew/craft beers. That just my two cents though.

I don't see how shots and mixed drinks would have to be higher than usual price unless the taxes are high on selling by the drink I would have to say that's where the money would be the guys who r selling by the jar for 20 dollars are making a profit where as by the drink in a bar a mason jars worth could bring a 100 dollars or more As far as start up costs I see it being far lower than any nano brewery my guy already has a copper still basically I would have too have the same start up money as any bar and plus the cost of the distillers license. The true question here is do any of you know of a place that's done this?

Hood, been done in the Ozarks. The issue you will run into, as many other brewers wanting to go pro have found, is the 3-tier system. Not sure how a "Spirit's Brewpub" would work. As by that time it is no longer illegal, just whiskey, rum, or vodka. So the people's outlook at it may not be as popular as "drinking illegal spirits."

http://www.copperrundistillery.com/ for Missouri's first distillery since prohibition!

You can also see http://homedistiller.org/ for a discussion of Home distilling, the legal sides, and some info on going pro distilling. Some people on the site live in areas where distilling is still legal (i.e. outside of the US), others on the site have stories of getting busted.

Yes, there are distillery bars.

http://www.sunliquor.com/

landshark said:

Hood, been done in the Ozarks. The issue you will run into, as many other brewers wanting to go pro have found, is the 3-tier system. Not sure how a "Spirit's Brewpub" would work. As by that time it is no longer illegal, just whiskey, rum, or vodka. So the people's outlook at it may not be as popular as "drinking illegal spirits."

http://www.copperrundistillery.com/ for Missouri's first distillery since prohibition!

You can also see http://homedistiller.org/ for a discussion of Home distilling, the legal sides, and some info on going pro distilling. Some people on the site live in areas where distilling is still legal (i.e. outside of the US), others on the site have stories of getting busted.

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Thanks man your right about the allure not being there if its not illegal but I'm wanting the bar to have the backroad speakeasy feel ( we also have a lot of tourist attractions in the county) and if a distillers licensing isn't to costly I think it would pull in out of towners and the locals well i know all of them they'll come in too just
99 percent of them just wouldn't touch a beer heavier than busch haha

It's COSTLY and it's a long process.

What I'm seeing is in Illinois you can sell up too 15000 gallons of spirit in house with out a license

There has never been a distillation forum on our board, and never will be.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_faq#faq_rules_regulations (See Rule #2). But as was mentioned, there are other forums out there for this kind of discussion and I know there are really good books covering the topic.

I know of a couple of brewers who have a legal still and make liquor legally at home. Most, however, who distill at home are not legally doing so.

Since we don't allow talk of distillation on our forum, this thread will be closed.