Think the days of bootleggers, backwoods stills and "white lightning" are over? Not a chance! It's a multi-million dollar industry. But perhaps more importantly to the moonshiners, it's a tradition dating back hundreds of years, passed down to them from their forefathers. It's part of their history and culture. While this practice is surprisingly alive and well, it's not always legal. Discovery Channel's all-new series MOONSHINERS tells the story of those who brew their shine - often in the woods near their homes using camouflaged equipment - and the local authorities who try to keep them honest. Viewers will witness practices rarely, if ever, seen on television including the sacred rite of passage for a moonshiner - firing up the still for the first time. They will also meet legends, including notorious moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton.
Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 10, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
Mark and Digger are ready to test out their 3-pot still; Chico and Sondra employ a four-legged still hand; Josh rides under the radar in South Carolina; Tim hopes to teach JT about his backwoods roots.
The episode was rated 7.61 from 145 votes.
Josh embarks on a harrowing cross-country delivery; rain threatens the final run of a special seasonal shine recipe; America's first Shiner in Chief inspires a top dollar batch of malted rye whiskey.
The episode was rated 7.63 from 140 votes.
Mark and Digger test yeast strains to get the most out of a new shine recipe; Tim and JT visit moonshine legends; Mark Rodgers sets up a new still site; Chico and Sondra start their season with a run of strawberry banana brandy.
The episode was rated 7.63 from 143 votes.
Josh awaits Cutie Pie's fate; Mark and Digger struggle with materials while building an experimental 3-Pot still; Chico and Sondra build a still high in the trees.
The episode was rated 7.64 from 168 votes.
Mark and Digger seek redemption on their 3-pot still; Tim enlists Tickle as JT's moonshine mentor; Patti and David build a second still in hopes of doubling their production; Lance tries to regain Jeff's trust.
The episode was rated 7.65 from 147 votes.
Approaching a massive season sale, Josh becomes a mad moonshine scientist; Mark and Digger scramble to complete a technically challenging run; Mark risks a solo run of sour mash whiskey; Patti and David hit the Gulf for their biggest sale yet.
The episode was rated 7.65 from 130 votes.
More setbacks confront Chico and Sondra; Mark and Digger secure ingredients for an experimental liquor; Mark and Mike reunite; Tim's centuries old method for finding water is met with opposition.
The episode was rated 7.69 from 138 votes.
Tickle mentors JT at Belmont Farm; Mark and Digger receive an impossible shine order; Patti and David secure their still site after spotting a deadly intruder; Lance and Jeff scramble when their bootlegger goes missing.
The episode was rated 7.69 from 137 votes.
Mark and Digger confront a shiner who's been edging into their territory; Josh makes a split-second decision as red and blue lights flash; Lance hopes a big sale could rectify past bootlegging blunders; Mike risks his reputation and freedom.
The episode was rated 7.71 from 129 votes.
Mark and Digger recruit a retired shiner; Josh and Chuck run an old family recipe; Lance enlists the help of a bootlegger to move his product; Sondra has to think fast.
The episode was rated 7.72 from 135 votes.
Moonshine season is back and the demand for white lightning is higher than ever. Tim Smith has a visitor from his outlaw past, Mark and Digger get a sign from above in Tennessee, and Josh's favorite still hand has a brush with death.
The episode was rated 7.72 from 190 votes.
Tim considers a permanent role for Tickle at the Distillery, while Sondra convinces Chico that a unique recipe will seal their season. Lance surprises Jeff with an unorthodox moonshine ingredient, and Patti and David risk a supersized mega run.
The episode was rated 7.74 from 121 votes.
Josh must make good with a biker gang after a trailer fire leaves them empty handed; Tickle's first run of legal rye whisky tempts him to return to the illegal side; in Louisiana.
The episode was rated 7.74 from 133 votes.
In this explosive season finale, backwoods rivalries reach the breaking point! Cops stop Mark and Digger during their last big bootleg. Josh risks a $20K sale with an unreliable biker gang, and Mike lights the fuse on an Appalachian turf war.
The episode was rated 7.76 from 127 votes.
In Tennessee, Mike sets himself up for a career high with a run of specialty liquor but faces a devastating setback. In the last run of the season, Sondra takes the reigns and Rodgers tampers with his final run in an attempt to cash out.
The episode was rated 7.89 from 129 votes.
