How Much Does Moonshine Cost?

Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Moonshine is on an upwards trend in popularity for the past decade, which is why nowadays it has become a part of mainstream pop culture. Moonshine has actually expanded its terrain considerably over the past few years although, as you might know, it is still a drink that has deep regional roots in the South.

The reality show Moonshiners was part of the reason why this drink became famous, as after its debut on Discovery Channel, it caused a skyrocket in searches for information about moonshine. The show was about an illegal distillery in Appalachia.

And as you’d expect, manufacturers never miss the opportunity to produce something in bigger numbers once it gets viral.

So now, you can find quite a few distilleries brewing and bottling unique variations of moonshine that is perfectly legal, all across the country. Also, if you need tips on how to store moonshine, we’ve got you covered. So what exactly is moonshine, how much does it cost, and where can you find it?

So How Much Does Moonshine Cost?

When it comes to its cost, moonshine is no different than any other hard liquor on the market. Expect to spend somewhere between $19 and $50 for a 750 mL bottle of moonshine, although its price will depend on several factors, including the quality of the drink and the brand behind it.

Of course, the store where you buy it from will also influence the price, as local tax rates will differ and will have a bigger or smaller impact on the final bill.

To make sure we painted a clear picture of the price of Moonshine depending on its brand, we chose a few brands from the same online store, so that they are priced based on similar factors. So the prices you find below are all from Total Wine, an online booze store.

So let’s look at the prices of four popular brands, along with some unique info on each of them, so you know what you will get for the money.

• White Dog: 375 mL for $16.99. This one is a little different from the ones to follow it. As you might see, this one doesn’t come with infusion flavors and has a price that is almost double the other brands. But its reviews both in the online world and in stores are pretty great, which makes us conclude that people still consider it properly priced.
• Ole Smoky: 750 mL for $18.99. This is how much you will pay for the plain Ole Smoky drink. Keep in mind that this brand comes with an impressive flavor selection, one of the favorites for clients being the apple pie. Ole Smoky started as a distillery that was illegal and got its name on the Moonshiners Show, which is another reason for enthusiasts to try it.
• Midnight Moon: 750 mL for $21.99. Midnight Moon is known to have the most flavors in the world of popular moonshine brands, and it is also sold in canned cocktails.
• Everclear: 750 mL for $20.99. If you’re looking for a basic, unaged corn whiskey that brags about being a preferred base for different moonshine infusions, then Everclear might just be for you. The interesting part is that although featured recipes are shown to have quite a range of applications, from tasty limoncello to DIY deodorant spray, this distillery still doesn’t offer any infusion varieties.

So as you can see above, popular brands of moonshine follow a pretty standard price mark. Of course, these are the most popular legal moonshine brands, as the market still has room for distilleries that offer a couple of brews on their products lists although they don’t specialize in moonshine.

What Is Moonshine?

If you’re one of those individuals that believe that moonshine is Moonshine, commonly referred to as white whiskey, is a traditional term used for alcohol, usually corn-based liquor that is produced illegally.

As in many civilized countries, in the US it is illegal to produce alcohol for consumption without the proper permits, although rules and laws will vary by state.

You might also like our articles about the cost of Cristal champagne, quality red wine, or developing a new drink.

But, as history has been able to show us, folks have always tried to evade government taxes imposed on alcohol, so they hid and made their brews for the black market. This resulted in what is known today as moonshine, an unaged corn liquor that was brewed mostly at night.

As people began to look for this type of drink, recent years have found many distilleries that operate legally to label different products they sell as moonshine, which made fans quite confused. But distilleries use this term to describe unaged whiskey or another type of unaged hard liquor.

As it hasn’t been aged, traditional moonshine is almost always transparent, and it is made almost always from corn. This is what got it its “white lightning” name. Liquor gets most of its unique flavor and taste from oak barrels or other alcohol-aging vehicles. Aging is also used as a way of making liquor have less of a rubbing alcohol taste, following its flavor down.

Moonshine is still a part of American history, having unique versatility in cocktails and an infusing ability, although it isn’t known for having a mellow flavor. Of course, it’s also a go-to drink for people that want to get drunk fast, as it has a high alcohol content.

Most moonshine types will have a higher alcohol by volume (ABV) or alcohol content as a whole than other liquors on the market. It isn’t uncommon for moonshine to have around 50% ABV. To give you an idea of how strong this is, standard scotch whiskey will be closer to 43% ABV, while beers are known to only have between 3% and 5% ABV.

Where Can You Buy Moonshine?

You should be able to find moonshine in most places that sell liquor. You are likely to find at least one moonshine variety in big retail stores, as well as alcohol shops like TotalWine. But if you’re only looking for a specific brand, then you should search online, as most places won’t feature a wide variety of moonshines.

But you might be considering the possibility of making your own moonshine at home, to cut down the price or keep this great American tradition alive. Although this is possible, it’s something you should really avoid, as making liquor without a license is against the law.

Making moonshine infusions, on the other hand, is completely legal, so you can always experiment with different types of cocktails as a hobby.