Moonshiners: Whiskey Business

Moonshiners: Whiskey Business is a riveting reality television series that first aired on Discovery Channel in 2019. This reality show injects new life into the traditional Appalachian practice of moonshining, focusing on a group of experts working to revive struggling distilleries and put them back on a path to profitability. These brilliant minds roam the back roads of America, hunting for hooch history and the people keeping it alive.

At the heart of the show is Tim Smith, a third-generation moonshiner from Climax, Virginia, with a reputable history in the moonshining industry. Tim captured the attention and hearts of viewers in the original series, Moonshiners, where he unveiled the art and science behind illegal distilling. However, in Moonshiners: Whiskey Business, Smith takes on the legal side by helping other distilleries around the country to deliver artisanal liquors that carry the genuine taste and spirit of their community.

Smith and his team of liquor experts, including whiskey maker Devin Mills, fermentation scientist Doogie Tomlin, and construction guru Chuck Miller, provide the human aspects of the show. This dynamic team partners with regional brewers who are struggling to compete in the ever-evolving craft liquor industry. Together, they work to restore, renew, and oftentimes rebuild these failing distilleries from the ground up.

With the crucial objective of turning around these struggling businesses, the Whiskey Business team makes considerable investments in time, knowledge, and financial resources. Employing their own unique blend of creativity and experience, they persist in their aim to turn dying distilleries into thriving establishments.

Each episode follows a different tale of resurrection. The Whiskey Business team breathes new life into dying distilleries, rebuilding them from the ground up and providing the tools and knowledge required to produce high-quality spirits. Then, they provide not just the distillery but also the entire community with a chance to integrate their heritage and culture into the final product, from local flavors and age-old recipes to traditional methods of distillation.

One of the most engaging aspects of Moonshiners: Whiskey Business is the sheer variety of distilleries and liquor types it highlights. From Moonshine, Bourbon and Whiskey to other distilled spirits, the show gives viewers a snapshot of the breadth and depth of America's spirit tradition.

Alongside the informative and entertaining content related to the art of distillation, the series does an exceptional job of unearthing stories of average people with big dreams: families trying to hold on to ancestral properties, small-town enthusiasts looking to keep local traditions alive, and ambitious entrepreneurs hoping to create viable businesses out of passion projects.

The show’s blend of tradition, entrepreneurial spirit, and community perfectly captures the heart of America and its enduring love for home-grown liquor. Whether it's infusing different flavors and developing new recipes or introducing modern distillation methods to substitute the outdated ones, viewers get a real, hands-on sense of what it takes to create, maintain, and elevate a craft distilling enterprise in a changing world.

In between the business makeovers, Moonshiners: Whiskey Business also works to deliver a humanizing portrayal of the American small business owner. The series showcases real people, with real dreams, doing their best to navigate the trying waters of entrepreneurship, personal investment, and commercial profitability.

Moonshiners: Whiskey Business is an exceptional series for those who appreciate the craft and culture of traditional liquor production, aspiring to learn from the struggles and triumphs of the folks taking a leap of faith in the spirits industry. Through this show, viewers gain a rich appreciation for the time-honored tradition of moonshining, all the while absorbing invaluable business lessons blended with emotion, resilience, and an indomitable spirit of survival.

In sum, this entertaining and enlightening journey into the world of struggling distilleries and the heroes aiming to save them is more than a reality television series. It's a testament to human perseverance, the magic of tradition, and the unwavering American spirit.