Deep in the heart of Tennessee, moonshiners Kelly, Amanda, and their long-time partners Mark and Digger have turned a simple vineyard clean-up into a full-fledged operation to craft not one, but two signature spirits: muscadine Brandy and Grappa.
Three weeks after lending a hand at a local vineyard, the crew returned to reap the sweet rewards. “We’re literally seeing the fruits of our labor—no pun intended,” joked Digger, standing alongside towering bins of ripe, purple muscadines ready for processing.
With over 1,400 pounds of grapes harvested, the team tapped into the expertise of vineyard owners Steve and Jean, who introduced them to a surprisingly efficient method of picking using tarps and padded poles—dubbed the “Boomstick.” The ripe grapes dropped cleanly, leaving the unripe ones intact. “It’s like the grapes just rain down,” said Mark, laughing as he compared the process to past relationships and old-fashioned whoopings.
After collection, the grapes were processed with commercial equipment: first de-stemmed and crushed, then pressed to separate juice from pulp—what moonshiners affectionately call pomace. The juice, destined for Brandy, flowed like liquid gold. “It’s so sweet it’ll run your sugar up,” Mark quipped after a taste test. “That’s the best base for a fine Brandy I’ve ever had.”
But the team isn’t stopping at Brandy. “We’re going to use every bit,” Amanda affirmed. “The pomace still holds flavor, and that’s what we’ll use for Grappa.”
As Jean explained the process, the crew couldn’t help but marvel at the setup. “This beats stomping ‘em with your feet,” joked Kelly. “They’ve got everything figured out here.”
The two-pronged plan—Brandy from juice and Grappa from leftovers—is a win-win. “It’s a double whammy,” said Amanda, proud of the vineyard’s yield and excited for what’s ahead. “I put a lot of time into these grapes, and they turned out perfect.”
With the fruit loaded up and spirits high, the moonshiners hauled their bounty back to the still site, eager to start production on what they’re calling “Muscadine Shine”—a name as catchy as it is flavorful.
“We’ve worked hard,” said Digger. “Now it’s time to turn this sweet juice into something that’ll warm your chest and lift your spirits.”
