Moonshine

Moonshine is a self-made strong alcoholic drink. Moonshine represents the cooled vapors of alcohol which is emitted when heating and long boiling of alcohol-containing weight. The alcohol-containing weight (home brew) for preparation of this alcoholic drink is received by fermentation of potatoes, beet, sugar, grain and other products as a part of which there is a sugar or osakharenny starched components.

History of emergence of moonshine

Originally moonshine was not intoxicated drink, but medical infusion. In such value moonshine vodka is described in the Novgorod chronicle of 1533. At that time in Russia manufactured moonshine of four grades: "lordly wine" (premium drink), "double wine" (moonshine vodka of special fortress), "kind wine" and "simple wine". The Russian moonshine of the beginning of the nineteenth century surpassed the French cognac and the English whisky in quality. This drink was at that time much more expensive than gold. In each manorial estate there were ways of preparation of moonshine. Moonshining of the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries was nominal and had no trade character.

At this drink near the Moscow Kremlin the first tavern was open. It was allowed to visit him only to guardsmen ("imperial dogs"). At that time for feats awarded not with awards, but a so-called imperial ladle. The owner of such award in any place could drink free of charge so much moonshine how many he will be able to scoop in a ladle for once.

Composition of moonshine

Production of moonshine vodka requires raw materials. The structure of drink, first of all, depends on availability of raw materials in each specific region. Depending on components divide the following kinds of moonshine: fruit or fruit and berry, potato, beet, grain. Except the main ingredient from which prepare home brew water, sugar and the candied starch is a part of self-made vodka. In moonshine preparation ferment in the form of yeast is also used.

100 grams of moonshine vodka contain 33,3 g of alcohol, 66 g of water, 0,1 g of ashes, 0,1 g mono-and disaccharides, 1 mg of potassium, 1 mg of calcium and 10 mg of sodium.

Types of moonshine

In world drinkable tradition distinguish the following types of moonshine: moonshine – the American self-made vodka, chichi casera – the self-race made in Latin America, Schwarzgebranntes – the German moonshine drink, Samogon or Bimber – the Polish moonshine. Residents of France thought up own way of preparation of moonshine under the name tord-boyaux. At Latvians this strong drink is called kandza, and Lithuanians have samogonas.

Advantage of moonshine

Some judges of drink claim that there is a real advantage of the self-made vodka prepared according to ancient family recipes. It is considered that only 40-50 grams of moonshine with pepper will help to avoid catarrhal diseases. In traditional medicine there is a set of recipes of moonshine compresses and grindings at the increased body temperature, joint pains, catarrhal diseases.

In 1951 the American professor cardiologist Whyte in the list of the best heart drugs put alcohol on the second place after drugs of a nitroglyceric row. According to the American doctors, regular and moderate alcohol intake including moonshine, promotes strengthening of cardiovascular system, protects walls of vessels from atherosclerotic defeats, considerably reduces risk of development of arthritis. Alcohol reduces concentration of harmful cholesterol in a blood plasma, increases diameter of coronary vessels and blocks their spasms, and also promotes reduction of coagulability of blood.

Harm of moonshine

However harm of moonshine is more obvious to a human body, than advantage. As a result of distillation of alcohol-containing weight so-called crude alcohol which contains a significant amount of the collateral components (fusel oil, methanol) causing irreversible permanent changes in a human body is formed.

Poisonous impurity – isoamyl, isopropyl alcohols and acetum-ethyl ether are a part of fusel oil. This oil causes spasms, cellular respiration oppresses and strikes TsNS. If all poisonous properties of alcohol to take for unit, then for this type of oil it is value equals to nineteen.

Isoamyl alcohol is especially poisonous. At hit of this alcohol on skin there is a burning, blisters are formed. Amyl alcohol oppresses activity of a brain, and isopropyl and propyl alcohols considerably oppress carbohydrate function of a liver.

Moonshine does considerable harm to a mucous membrane of digestive tract. At the systematic use of this drink in large numbers the cover becomes thinner that can lead to gastric bleedings and to a peptic ulcer. The liver at neutralization of an organism from poison is exposed to considerable loading therefore the risk of development of cirrhosis of its cells increases.

The excessive use of moonshine reduces protective forces of an organism and promotes developing of infectious diseases – tuberculosis, abscess of lungs, a bronchoectatic disease.

The intoxication caused by self-made vodka comes very quickly, almost instantly, and lasts long very much. The consciousness opacification arising at excitement passes into a leaden sleep with a headache after awakening.

Ways of preparation of moonshine

For the long-term history moonshine produced by various methods. Till our time there was popular a so-called "handicraft or house moonshine" made on the self-made device. There is also industrial production of this alcoholic drink. However, it is considered that moonshine vodka of industrial production cannot be compared to taste and quality to its handicraft analogs.