"MOONSHINE" WHISKY

Evening Post, Volume 137, Issue CXI, 10 June 1926, Page 8

"MOONSHINE" WHISKY

ALLEGED ILLICIT STILLS

SUSPECTED TRADE IN OTAGO.

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

DUNEDIN, This Day.

Though to many it will come as a fantastic tale, dating from the early days of New Zealand's history, there is every reason to beliove that in certain parts of Southland's back country, and possibly towards the Otago district, there are stills producing illicit "moonshine" whisky in comparatively large quantities for sale in Invercargill and" tho surrounding districts .(says the "Otago Daily Times"). In fact, it is stated by responsible Dunedin citizens that a proportion of this spirit, distilled in the secret recesses of the bush-covered hills, is'reaching Dunedin. To, a large section of the community in Invercargill and other Southland towns it is common knowledge that illicit supplies of "moonshine" whisky exist; in fact, the spirit is generally known as "Hokonui brand," because of the widespread belief that it is distilled somewhere in the hills of that name. This belief is strengthened by the fact that within the last two years men have been found guilty by the Magistrate in Invercargill of | distilling whisky in that locality. All who have knowledge of the existence of this romantic but illegal trade are of opinion that there were many who were kept beyond the reach of the law when the last arrests were made, and the fact that "moonshine" whisky has appeared in Invercargill since that time lends colour to the opinion. Samples of the whisky are in Dunedin to-day, and in tho opinion of those who hold the samples supplies reach the city. A Dunedin business man produced a plain bottle of colourless Whisky, which he said was "moonshine" whisky from Southland. He had had it tested by an overseas expert, who pronounced it mediocre quality grain whisky. It had, according to the expert, been matured for ten years, a fact that points to large supplies of the spirit being in existence. "The sample is a good one a_,far as 'moonshine' whisky goes," he said, "and if blended carefully would mix with other whisky from overseas with satisfactory results; but there are other samples which I have seen that are greatly inferior in quality. Most of the samples are white, but it is an easy matter to colour the spirit with burnt sugar, and I believe that some supplies are coloured. It is not altogether the amount of whisky that these illicit distillers sell—l' am quite prepared to admit that in comparison with the regular legal sales in hotels the amount is very small —but it is the injury' that these bad whiskies, either pure or blended, may do to the public that has to bo considered."