Working with each distillery brings about family stories and traditions, and whiskey or whisky as an industry is founded on centuries of stories, experiments, adventures, innovation, and, most importantly, people.

If you browse our blog archives, you will find stories about why we call a measure of whiskey a shot (a dram, or a finger). We have spoken about the Keeper of the Quaich. Altercations with the authorities in the Whiskey Rebellion, and there will be more.

In this blog, we'll learn why Moonshine is called such: high seas fun evading the customs man and a date with the Devil.

Moonshine:

The easiest place to start regarding whiskey fun. Well, most illegal things began as fun, and making spirit in Scotland, Ireland, and the US is no different. Each has its own illegal distilling stories to tell.

So why the name "Moonshine"? Well, simply because the act of distilling illegally was conducted at night to avoid being seen. Other names that have been attributed to the illegal spirit include 'rotgut,’ 'white dog,' and 'white lightning. ' Countries all over the world have a version of Moonshine; while the US and UK style is grain-based, other countries may also use fruits, sugarcane, and even potatoes!

Moonshine is now mainly a commercial concern, and companies use it as a marketing tool. At least now, you are far less likely to experience physical issues due to the impure nature of some elements of older moonshine alcohols.

 Whisky Galore

 From illegal whiskey making, we move on to run-ins with the authorities.

The film, Whisky Galore, was released in 1949 and subsequently a remake in 2016. Based on a true story and a little artistic license, the film tells the story of a group of islanders in Scotland who, not overly affected by wartime rationing, had sadly run out of whisky by 1943. However, a ship carrying whisky cargo ran aground nearby. Thus ensued a battle between the crafty islanders to salvage and hide the whisky and the Customs and Excise officials who wanted tax duties from the cargo. You can find the films on various streaming platforms to watch.

In real life, the ship that ran aground was the HMS Politician. She was holding 22,000 cases of whisky and £3m in Jamaican banknotes, among other goods.

HMS Politician had been used since 1923 and docked at Portland, Oregon, once during the prohibition era. Again, she was carrying whisky. Even though the US authorities approved and sealed the whisky, the state prohibition commissioner for Oregon ignored the approvals and seized the whisky. After a standoff, where the ship's master refused to leave without the cargo, a political intervention took place, and the whisky was given back to the ship.

For a full overview of the story of HMS Politician, follow this link SS Politician - Wikipedia

A date with the Devil

There are hundreds of stories about whisky across the world, but few will send a shiver down your spine like this one. This one is abridged from an article in The Scotsman. Six Scottish whisky legends and stories | Scotsman Food and Drink All credit goes to Stuart McHardy.

A few centuries ago, a young Highlander called Tom Campbell left his home in Wester Ross to become a sailor. Joining a ship in Ullapool, he traveled around the world before returning to Wigtown, where, falling in love with a local girl, he decided to settle down and raise a family.

He took a job with the local blacksmith, and soon ,he and his wife had three lovely bairns. Now Tom, being a Highlander and all, was fond of the usige beatha and would often take in a nip or two when he had finished a hard day of work.

The town had become besieged by a plague, and Tom was one of the few able-bodied who hadn't succumbed to the sickness. Following a late shift, he stopped at the local tavern and purchased a bottle of the finest whisky he could afford.

Before he left, he held a toast saying: "The plague is Devil's work right enough! But he'll not get the better of me!"

On his way home, the way was dark, and only the light of the full moon gave him any bearing. Suddenly, he heard a coarse laugh and turned to find himself facing what he had at first mistook for a Highland coo (cow) but, in fact, out to be the Devil himself.

"Tom! I hear you have been having a laugh at my expense! Now it is time to pay." He let out a huge roar intended to scare the young man. However, he had misjudged the Highlander.

"Och, it's you," Tom said, "I expected more, to be honest. Will you take a drink?"

Tom pulled from his coat his bottle of whisky and offered it to the Devil. He didn't know what sort of spirit the Devil was used to, but Tom could tell he'd never drank anything like what he was currently tasting. Before Tom knew it, the Devil had drunk half the bottle.

"Save some for me!" Tom cried and took back the bottle to take some himself. The Devil staggered, and Tom thought to himself that the Devil was clearly not used to imbibing the good stuff.

"Well now," boomed the Devil, "We will fight for your soul by the code of the cothrom na feinne, the fair play of the Fianna." The ancient Highland code of fair combat. Tom nodded, and the Devil said, "If I win, your soul will be mine."

"And if I win?" Tom asked, to which the Devil smiled, confident that the Highlander would lose.

"Unlikely, but name your prize."

Tom continued: "If I win, you will remove the plague and leave the people of this area alone."

The Devil agreed, and the two were set to wrestle. Tom had a few inches on his opponent, but the Devil had the greater bulk. They wrestled for hours, and Tom took strength from the sips of whisky he had consumed while the Devil was struggling with the effects of drinking so much of the powerful spirit.

Finally, as the dawn's light began to shine and the two wrestled on the beach, the Devil's foot slipped, and Tom tossed him onto his back. The Highlander let out a loud whoop of celebration, and the Devil cursed before disappearing.

An exhausted Tom slumps to the ground and, taking a last swig from his bottle, passes out. Tom was woken later by the local priest who had been searching for him with Tom's wife.

"This is a double boon indeed," the priest cried, "for we have found your husband!"

"Double boon?" Tom asked groggily as his wife hugged him.

"The plague, my dear man, it lifted this morning; the people are no longer sick!"

Though no one believed him, Tom knew that, with the help of the uisge beatha, he had bested the Devil that night and saved the people of Wigtown. (Source: Stuart McHardy)

There are few experiences better than sharing stories withf friends and family over a dram. Having your own whiskey and whiskey story takes that experience to another level.

We are on a mission to make whiskey barrel ownership accessible to collectors worldwide. As the first-ever global market place for whiskey barrels, you can connect with distilleries and collectors worldwide to build your own portfolio. For a whiskey experience unlike any other, request access today. Barrel Global

‍