Despite moonshine's reputation as an outlaw, you'll find no shortage of bottles bearing the word "Moonshine" on their labels in liquor stores. The reason for this is complicated.

Simply put, moonshine is a clear, unaged whiskey primarily distilled from corn using homemade copper or steel stills. Its key differentiator is the fact that it is not legal.

The move away from law-abiding distillation due to the Whiskey Act of 1791 gave rise to the name "moonshine," as it had to be made under the moonlight to avoid detection.

During Prohibition, moonshine production quadrupled, with speakeasies and bootleggers distributing it from coast to coast, making moonshiners the quiet heroes of a thirsty nation.

Today, distilling hard liquor like moonshine in the U.S. without a license remains a felony, though enforcement has become far more relaxed.

This means that the fancy "moonshine" bottles sold freely at your local liquor store are just legally produced white whiskey that uses the name as a marketing term.