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North Georgia Moonshine:
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An excerpt from North Georgia Moonshine
introduction
His view has not changed in sixty-plus years. Sitting plumb on a fourlegged waist-high stool, the elder gentleman balances his weathered frame, studying the crystal clear stream rolling from a sterling spout. He has followed its journey from a ten-foot-high, 175-gallon copper still and now watches it empty into a 3 -gallon stainless steel pot. As the pot fills to its brim, he transfers the full container to the right, placing another of the same size underneath the spout. The methodic transition occurs without a single drop of liquid escaping. His attention turns to the full one, scooping a little off the top into a hydrometer and tilting it upward toward the light. He knows the scientific ritual, but he prefers to pay attention to the beading, allowing hefty, plump bubbles to deliver the story of the liquid’s strength. When he is satisfied, he pours the sampling back into the full bucket, which he, in turn, dumps into a stainless steel 200-gallon drum, where liquid ripples and shimmers as it dances in the light. Placing the emptied container on the concrete floor within an arm’s reach of the stool, he sits back down, and in about six or seven minutes, he will do it all over again. Fixed on the spout once more, his eyes are vigilant as it delivers liquid gold that clocks in at about 130 proof . . .
For more information, please contact Seeing Southern at seeingsouthern@gmail.com.
"Such a great book Judy Garrison, well done!" ~ Clayton Tyler Lovell
Hemingway said "there is nothing to writing. All you have to do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
This came to mind because Judy has a way of creating a tone and atmosphere so palpable you can almost touch it. She put her blood, sweat and tears into it. She's amazing. ~Jessica B. Adamson
What I thought I knew about mountain agriculture as a New Jersey native living in Georgia changed dramatically reading "North Georgia Moonshine." This carefully written merger of what appears to be solid journalism blended with tales of a true-life family opened my eyes to the real history of liquor stills hidden in the leafy North Georgia forests. Moonshine supported families -- lots of them, and not just the makers but the related businesses. Best customers? Preachers, doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers. The lineage clearly outlined in this book will enrich my tastings as I travel to visit today's distilleries cropping up in legal moonshining ways. ~ Christine Tibbetts
Judy, I wanted to reach out after finding your book North Georgia Moonshine in a local store. My 91 year old mom has absolutely loved it! Mom is nearly blind from glaucoma, but still manages to read if the print quality is good. She doesn't get out much and has out-lived too many relatives and friends. Reading has long been a passion and source of pleasure for her. She is the daughter of Della Kastner Noblet, who was Lillie Kastner Lovell's first cousin. She knew many in the book and so enjoyed reliving her childhood in Habersham. It's opened the door for us to talk about her memories. I just wanted to say thank you for the enjoyment you've given her, and me as well, as our conversations about her memories and stories have been a gift. My best to you... ~Thank you, Jeff
Hemingway said "there is nothing to writing. All you have to do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
This came to mind because Judy has a way of creating a tone and atmosphere so palpable you can almost touch it. She put her blood, sweat and tears into it. She's amazing. ~Jessica B. Adamson
What I thought I knew about mountain agriculture as a New Jersey native living in Georgia changed dramatically reading "North Georgia Moonshine." This carefully written merger of what appears to be solid journalism blended with tales of a true-life family opened my eyes to the real history of liquor stills hidden in the leafy North Georgia forests. Moonshine supported families -- lots of them, and not just the makers but the related businesses. Best customers? Preachers, doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers. The lineage clearly outlined in this book will enrich my tastings as I travel to visit today's distilleries cropping up in legal moonshining ways. ~ Christine Tibbetts
Judy, I wanted to reach out after finding your book North Georgia Moonshine in a local store. My 91 year old mom has absolutely loved it! Mom is nearly blind from glaucoma, but still manages to read if the print quality is good. She doesn't get out much and has out-lived too many relatives and friends. Reading has long been a passion and source of pleasure for her. She is the daughter of Della Kastner Noblet, who was Lillie Kastner Lovell's first cousin. She knew many in the book and so enjoyed reliving her childhood in Habersham. It's opened the door for us to talk about her memories. I just wanted to say thank you for the enjoyment you've given her, and me as well, as our conversations about her memories and stories have been a gift. My best to you... ~Thank you, Jeff
