Shabby chic – we see it in decor, we see it in clothing and now we’re seeing it in alcohol. All hail the mason jar!

First, it was the hipsters drinking tall boys of PBR. That was, like, the coolest thing to do aside from growing facial hair that rivals the fanciest of topiaries or walking a pet cat on a leash. Now, its sharing a jar of legal moonshine among friends or garnishing a craft cocktail with a moonshine soaked fruit. Why is it popular?

Because it is something different, something new, and it has an air of bad-assery associated with acquiring a mason jar full of booze, regardless of legality.

Legal moonshine on the shelf at your local package liquor store runs anywhere from 40 proof (20% abv) to 128 proof (64% abv), and in flavors ranging from the ubiquitous apple pie to the more refined butterscotch. And while there are still those who seek out the illegal stuff from a friend of a friend’s uncle who lives down yonder in a holler, legal moonshine has definite advantages over the illegal stuff, above the legality issue. These include knowing the proof of what you’re buying (contrary to popular belief spread through a now-cancelled television show, you cannot tell the proof of liquor by shaking it) and knowing you will definitely not go blind by drinking the product. That, and you are guaranteed the same flavor from jar to jar.

Will we see moonshine stick around? Likely. We will see more moonshine fruit, moonshine flavors, moonshine cocktails, etc. But don’t count on sustained domestic growth; tastes in the US are continually changing and seeking the cool-new-thing. Just as mason-jar-decor is becoming tired, so too shall moonshine.