While our first two spirits are moonshines, Piedmont Distillers does not consider itself strictly a moonshine distillery. It is also born in a copper still, made from corn, crafted in small batches and triple distilled. It is based on the Johnson family’s generations-old moonshine recipe. In May of 2007, moonshine and racing legend Junior Johnson became part owner of Piedmont Distillers and together we introduced Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon. Catdaddy harkens back to the moonshining days-of-old with its corn recipe, secret flavors, copper still and small batch process. Piedmont Distillers opened its doors in 2005, with our first spirit Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine. Once he had learned as much as he could, Joe decided it was time to share North Carolina moonshine with the rest of the world. These old-timers shared their recipes, distilling techniques and general tricks of the trade. He read books, tasted all sorts of recipes, watched documentaries and eventually earned the trust of local moonshiners. ![]() Over the next several years, moonshine became Joe’s passion. He took a sip of the illicit brew and was surprised that it tasted great and was very smooth. He did not hesitate long, after all this was the stuff of legends. After all, he didn’t know where it came from or who made it. At first, Joe was apprehensive to take a sip. On one such adventure, Joe found himself in a cabin in the woods listening to a jam session by local blues legends, when someone handed him a jar of peach moonshine. Through his job in marketing, Joe had the opportunity to travel the South attending music festivals, NASCAR races and the like. By partnering with the makers of Midnight Moon, Junior was able to sustain and share his family’s moonshine legacy with the world (this time – legally).Piedmont Distillers Founder, Joe Michalek, is a native New Yorker who moved to North Carolina in 1995. In a way, Junior had come “full-circle” back to his roots. The name “midnight moon” was inspired by moonshiner’s practice of making shine late at night under the light of the moon. Midnight Moon has Junior Johnson to thank for its authenticity and popularity. Junior would greet hundreds of fans at each stop along the road with a twinkle in his eye and stay until everyone had a chance to meet him and get their mason jars signed. Junior Johnson and Joe Michalek, the Founder and President of Piedmont Distillers, Inc., toured the country sharing their Midnight Moon ‘shine. Junior Johnson shared his family’s 100% corn moonshine recipe with Midnight Moon (made by Piedmont Distillers, Inc.), and when we gave him a sip of our first batch, Junior declared, “That’s the best damn ‘shine I ever tasted.” So began a wonderful partnership which grew to become more than just a business relationship it became a family. Junior went so far as to taunt the cops and create diversions that allowed him to complete his runs. ![]() His infamous Bootleg U-turn is legendary, and it kept the police off his trail for years the upgrades he made to his car only helped him in that endeavor. This led to Junior’s father and brothers serving time in jail for bootlegging in fact, Junior’s mother is the only one who steered clear of prison.Īt age 14, Junior began running ‘shine, and the family arrests became less frequent. ![]() So it is no surprise the children joined the illegal family business. ![]() Junior was often quoted, “We weren’t doing anything wrong, we were just trying to survive and we didn’t have any money to pay the taxes”. and Lora Bella, struggled during the Great Depression and Prohibition provided the opportunity for ‘shine to put food on the table. Like most Americans, Junior’s parents, Robert Glenn Johnson, Sr. His ancestors were some of the first to make moonshine in the region, and 150 years later, the Johnson family continued the tradition. Though Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson was born on June 28, 1931, in Ronda, North Carolina, his family history in Appalachia goes back to the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791.
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