This post is sponsored by Babbleboxx on behalf of Sugarlands Distilling Company.

Remember the show Moonshiners on The Discovery Channel? A few hillbillies in mental anguish between doing what they do best – backwoods moonshine making – and going mainstream? If you grew up in the rural farmlands of PA like I did, the show was fascinating to show the true-life struggle of tradition and modernization. But long story short – they’ve done it. They made the leap into modern day and have grown a true empire in Gatlinburg, Tennesee, Sugarland Distillery Company.

Moonshinin’ traditions

And as part hillbilly myself, I can attest to the moonshine that comes from these hills. These days, apple pie moonshine and blackberry brandy may not be so popular, but with creative elixirs and complex cocktails becoming more and more mainstream than the usual rum and coke, it’s fun to see that moonshine is reemerging on the scene.

Don’t worry, moonshine these days is regulated (shame to some and a very hard decision by Sugarlands Distillery!) meaning it’s not such a high proof that you’ll start hallucinating after a sip (it’s been known to happen!). But it’s still really delicious, and you can honestly taste the homelands and history from the hills in these jars (which come packaged in a mason jar just like how I would pick it up from West Virginia!).

Sugarlands Distillery has a lot of history behind it. Even though it may be a fully-functioning location now where you can even now tour, that doesn’t mean the traditions of moonshin’ have been lost. Founders like Tickle and Digger Manes have taken all the years of moonshin’ with passed-down recipes and techniques and still bottle that up for you today. If you don’t know what a shotgun condenser is – you will appreciate it after this summer cocktail recipe below.

Yes, you can still get that original Tennesee sour mash (100 proof), or flavors only your grandpappy talked about like dynamite cinnamon (70 proof) to Appalachian sippin’ cram (only 40 proof!). That was always the best part of moonshine to me – the real fruits they will distill in the spirits to try and mask the burn that was going down your throat.

Stephanie’s Shotgun Mule

Being a bartender for most of my life, I will confidently say I know how to make a damn good drink. So it’s only necessary that it has a fun name that also pays tribute to the Sugarlands and my own heritage while incorporating some of my favorite ingredients.

• Sugarlands Shine Pina Colada (70 proof)
• one pineapple, frozen into chunks
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• lime juice
• fresh mint leaves

Take a few chunks of the frozen pineapple and blend them up with ice and the coconut milk. Add as much Pina Colada as you’d like (a true recipe is made to taste, not measure!). Squeeze in 1/2 lime and stir. Add to your mule mug and garnish with fresh mint. Put your feet up and head outdoors like the hillbillies would. You can’t enjoy this in a fancy restaurant or air-conditioned apartment. Then, clear your schedule for the rest of the day.

So, now who’s up for a road trip to the hills of Tennesee?