Best Episodes
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!
Tickle mashes in his first large scale run of outlaw shine in years. Mark and Digger scramble to save their Popcorn legacy mash from runaway livestock. Mike ditches Daniel for a new full-time partner. Mark and Huck double their proof and their price.
The episode was rated 7.74 from 96 votes.
Tickle answers the call when Josh needs help salvaging an abandoned submarine still and his season. Mark and Digger take on a specialty bourbon made from Indian corn. Facing jail time, Van and Ewok gamble their freedom for another run.
The episode was rated 7.75 from 87 votes.
Mike and Jerry confront Daniel about how their rival's liquor is invading their territory; Tickle, Henry and Kenny scale up their CBD-infused moonshine operation; a new bootlegger makes Mark and Digger an offer they can't refuse.
The episode was rated 7.75 from 89 votes.
Tickle announces his engagement, and Tim discovers why his best friend can't quit the outlaw side; unable to sell any shine, Mike attempts a long-distance bootleg that puts him in the cross-hairs of the law; Josh thinks Sin City needs one more vice.
The episode was rated 7.77 from 88 votes.
Tickle's carpentry skills shine as Virginia outlaws plan a risky modification to their still; Mark and Digger take a big swing on a small ingredient that can't pass the sniff test; Josh uncovers the worst way to foster a toxic work environment.
The episode was rated 7.78 from 97 votes.
When Tickle returns to the outlaw side, even Tim can't resist the call of the backwoods; Mark and Digger rediscover a lost recipe from a legend; Mike finds the ultimate secret mountain still site, if only he can build a way to access it.
The episode was rated 7.81 from 93 votes.
Tickle and Tim put fire to their first backwoods run in a decade; with 250 gallons of mash on the brink of expiring, Mark and Digger torpedo their own operation; a minor oversight for Josh triggers a domino effect that threatens his entire site.
The episode was rated 7.84 from 86 votes.
Teaming up with a former competitor, Mark and Digger sell their legacy shine in a neighboring county. Mike and Jerry double their shine output only to find customers are getting their shine from another source. Mountain man Mark tracks an intruder.
The episode was rated 7.84 from 100 votes.
Mark and Digger attempt to rescue a former apprentice from a moonshine calamity; an unknown competitor invades Mike's turf, forcing him to change his shine strategy; Mark and Huck bank on backwoods survival skills to fuel their high-proof run.
The episode was rated 7.85 from 91 votes.
Mark and Digger go across county lines to bootleg their triple-grain shine. Mark Huck uses bear scent to track down an intruder while Mike and Jerry fire up the 24-jar rig and discover the downside of backpressure.
The episode was rated 7.87 from 82 votes.
Josh breaks into his secret stash to build a new still site, and breaks out his shotgun when a drone invades his airspace. Daniel hits the jackpot selling for Mark and Digger, while Mike finds his steady customers mysteriously less thirsty than usual.
The episode was rated 7.90 from 90 votes.
Tickle introduces the new Mrs. Tickle; America's favorite moonshiners confront the season's unfinished business; for the first time, a top spirits expert rates each shiner's shine; legal and outlaw distillers compete to make the best mountain brandy.
The episode was rated 7.98 from 40 votes.
In the season finale, Tickle gets a life sentence -- to the marvellous Mrs. Tickle. Mark and Digger risk delivering both moonshine and justice
The episode was rated 7.98 from 88 votes.
Mark and Digger heads to Georgia to visit an old-time shiner and restore an important piece of Popcorn Sutton history; Tim and Tickle plan on how to sell their new shine; Mike finds out about a rival on his turf.
The episode was rated 8.04 from 80 votes.
Tickle and the Laws infuse a batch of shine with anxiety-reducing CBD, Josh digs into a secret stash to cure his blues and a mystery bootlegger encroaches on Mike's turf.
The episode was rated 8.04 from 89 votes.
