Bootlegging in the Smokies: A Short History

The hills and hollows of East Tennessee carry a deep-rooted history of illicit spirits, smuggling, and rural defiance. What follows is a focused exploration of how bootlegging and moonshining developed in this region—how they were shaped by geography, law, economics, culture, and how their legacy remains visible today.

Early Roots: Corn, Culture, and the Birth of Moonshine

East Tennessee’s tradition of moonshining has both practical and cultural roots. Scots-Irish settlers brought with them distilling techniques from the British Isles and quickly adapted them to Appalachian corn, which was plentiful and easily converted into whiskey for trade or storage (Howling Moonshine, n.d.). Converting corn into spirits allowed mountain farmers to preserve value and avoid spoilage, creating what became both a household staple and a source of income.

As the Tennessee Encyclopedia explains, corn was the dominant crop in the region, and transforming it into liquor was a natural step for many small farmers (Tennessee Encyclopedia, n.d.). When the federal government imposed excise taxes on whiskey in the late 18th century, resistance was immediate—mirrored famously in the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion (Old Tennessee Distilling Co., n.d.).

The term moonshine came from the practice of distilling by moonlight, hidden deep in the woods to avoid government “revenuers” (Visit My Smokies, n.d.). This clandestine craft became not only a form of economic survival but also an enduring Appalachian identity.

Law, Geography, and Defiance

Tennessee’s rugged geography made law enforcement difficult. Remote mountain hollows, thick forests, and winding rivers provided perfect concealment for stills. By the 19th century, the region had developed a strong resistance to taxation and government interference, which shaped its independent culture (Throckmorton, 2018).

Legal pressure, however, only intensified. Tennessee became the first state to adopt a form of alcohol prohibition in 1838, banning the sale of liquor in taverns (Nooga Today, n.d.). The later “Four-Mile Law” of 1877 made it illegal to sell liquor near schools, gradually cutting off legal alcohol markets across rural areas (Old Tennessee Distilling Co., n.d.).

As a result, more people went underground. For many East Tennesseans, making liquor wasn’t seen as criminal — it was a proud, practical tradition (CrimeReads, 2022).

Bootleggers and Moonshiners: Two Sides of the Same Coin

While moonshiners made the spirits, bootleggers moved it — hauling jugs and jars through the mountain backroads under the cover of night. Their work was as dangerous as it was profitable. In the early 20th century, some bootleggers modified their cars to outrun the law, a legacy that later inspired stock-car racing (Appalachian State University, 2007).

According to historians, this division of labor created a whole regional economy of secrecy, barter, and risk — one that would reach its peak during Prohibition (HH History, 2022).

Prohibition and the Golden Age of Bootlegging

When national Prohibition began in 1920, East Tennessee was already well-prepared. With alcohol now outlawed nationwide, demand skyrocketed, and the mountains became a production powerhouse (Tennessee Secretary of State, n.d.).

Cities like Johnson City and Knoxville became hubs for distribution. By 1926, even church-going citizens were reportedly buying from their “pet bootleggers” who made home deliveries (Johnson City Public Library, 2024). The Knoxville Journal of that era described the region’s “whiskey highways” as so active that it was nearly impossible for authorities to keep up (Visit Knoxville, n.d.).

Some moonshiners set up stills in caves and underground springs, such as those in the Smokies, which provided natural cover and clean water for distilling (Visit My Smokies, n.d.). But danger was ever-present — some producers used unsafe additives, leading to poisoning and blindness (Tennessee Secretary of State, n.d.).

Homemade Wines: A Parallel Tradition

While the lore of illicit whiskey dominates Appalachian folklore, homemade wines also played a meaningful, though less-criminalized, role in East Tennessee’s agrarian culture. Early settlers planted grapes, used wild berries and fruits (blackberries, elderberries, pokeberries) and made their own fruit wines for home consumption, barter, or local sale (DrinkingFolk, n.d.).

By the mid-1800s, grape‐growing and winemaking were thriving in Tennessee: in 1880, there were 1,128 acres of grapes producing some 64,767 gallons of wine with a value of about $90,000 (Throckmorton, 2018). European immigrants — especially German settlers — brought winemaking skills and helped establish vineyards even in the hills of Appalachia (About Tennessee Wineries, n.d.).

Although national Prohibition hit the wine industry hard and many vineyards were abandoned, the tradition of homemade and small-scale fruit wines persisted in rural households (AppalachianHistory.net, 2023). Best suited to the region were native grape varieties like muscadine and scuppernong, as well as wild fruits which could be harvested locally and fermented in home or farm settings (Tennessee Homemade Wines, 2025).

In East Tennessee, these homemade wines often existed in a grey area: they were legal when made for personal consumption, but when produced in quantities for sale without proper licensing, they could attract enforcement. Unlike the full-scale bootlegging of moonshine, these wines usually stayed within the community — as part of hospitality, barter, and local tradition.

Today, the legacy of those homemade wines is visible in small fruit-wine wineries, artisan producers and local tasting rooms that celebrate Appalachian terroir, heritage fruit, and sweet southern styles (Tennessee Homemade Wines, 2025). The story of wine in the region thus parallels, but differs from, the story of illicit spirits — less about illegal smuggling, more about craft, culture and survival through the seasons.

Post-Prohibition and Modern Legacy

Even after national Prohibition ended in 1933, many East Tennessee counties remained “dry” for decades. Legal distilleries were rare, and the illicit trade continued well into the 1960s (Visit Knoxville, n.d.).

Figures like Popcorn Sutton, a renowned Cocke County moonshiner, became folk heroes — symbolizing the rebellious, self-reliant spirit of Appalachian bootlegging culture (Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2008).

Today, an interesting juxtaposition is visible: legal distilleries operate openly, crafting “moonshine-style” spirits, while small wineries and artisan producers craft fruit wines that harken back to natural fermentation traditions. Together they reflect a region where homemade production, craft, and heritage remain strong.

A Complicated Heritage

The story of East Tennessee’s bootlegging, moonshining and homemade wines isn’t simply one of crime — it’s one of survival, culture, innovation and adaptation. From the farmers who turned corn into liquid currency to the families who fermented wild berries in the cellar, from hidden stills to rustic vineyards, the region’s alcohol-production history spans necessity, craft and defiance.

Today, legal craft distilleries and wineries celebrate that legacy — reinterpret it even — but the roots run deep in the land, the hills and the hollers of Appalachia.

Sources

About Tennessee Wineries. (n.d.). A history and overview of Tennessee wines. Tennessee Wines. https://tennesseewines.com/about/

Appalachian State University. (2007). Ethnographic and linguistic field schools: Alleghany County, NC — “It’s in the Blood.” Department of Anthropology. https://anthro.appstate.edu/research/field-schools/ethnographic-and-linguistic-field-schools/summer-2007-alleghany-county/its

AppalachianHistory.net. (2023, November 9). A journey through Appalachian winemaking history. https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2023/11/a-journey-through-appalachian-winemaking-history.html

Blue Ridge Outdoors. (2008, June). Moonshine in the mountains. https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/magazine/june-2008/moonshine-in-the-mountains/

CrimeReads. (2022, June 16). Of Baptists and bootleggers: Remembering my moonshine-making ancestors. https://crimereads.com/of-baptists-and-bootleggers-remembering-my-moonshine-making-ancestors/

DrinkingFolk. (n.d.). In the Barchives: Appalachian drinks heritage and folk… https://drinkingfolk.com/appalachian-archives/

Howling Moonshine. (n.d.). History of moonshine. https://www.howlingmoonshine.com/history-of-moonshine

Johnson City Public Library. (2024, July). History Under the Blue Ridge: Legends of “Little Chicago.” https://www.jcpl.org/news/2024/07/history-under-the-blue-ridge-legends-of-little-chicago/

Nooga Today. (n.d.). History of prohibition in Chattanooga, TN. https://noogatoday.6amcity.com/history-of-prohibition-chattanooga-tn

Old Tennessee Distilling Co. (n.d.). The history of moonshine & prohibition in Tennessee. https://oldtennesseedistillingco.com/the-history-of-moonshine

Throckmorton, H. B. (2018, March 1). Winemaking in Tennessee. In Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/winemaking-in-tennessee/

Tennessee Secretary of State. (n.d.). Prohibition and moonshine. https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/prohibition/moonshine.htm

Tennessee Homemade Wines. (2025, February 26). The history of winemaking in the Smokies. https://www.tnhomemadewines.com/blog/history-winemaking-smokies

Visit Knoxville. (n.d.). Happy Bootleggers Day: Knoxville’s Prohibition past. https://www.visitknoxville.com/blog/post/happy-bootleggers-day/

Visit My Smokies. (n.d.). History of Smoky Mountain moonshine. https://www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/smoky-mountains/history-of-smoky-mountain-moonshine