At first you might think you’ve fallen asleep watching Boardwalk Empire yet again (which reminds me, Steve Buscemi is really nice when he shows up in your dreams) upon hearing that not only is bootlegging whiskey a living, viable business in modern times, but that there’s a special Moonshine Task Force ins states like Alabama designed to go after anyone making and selling illegal hooch. [More]
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Why Can You Brew Your Own Beer, But Not Moonshine?
By 10.22.07
Slate investigates, and the short answer is, because the government stands to lose too much money on lost sales of spirits, which are taxed far higher than beer: the U.S. “takes an excise tax of $2.14 for each 750-milliliter bottle of 80-proof spirits, compared with 21 cents for a bottle of wine (of 14 percent alcohol or less) and 5 cents for a can of beer.”
