“Shine” On, you Crazy Hillbilly!

Don’t let the title fool you, the man pictured at left is not crazy, far from it, and I have no problem with the people of Appalachia (eh-puh-latch-uh). I grew up in Western North Carolina, you see, and it was not uncommon to see people like him on a daily basis. His name, by the way, is Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton. He is one of the last of a dying breed. He is/was allegedly a moonshiner. That is, one who distills corn whisky for distribution and consumption. He is also one of the foremost experts on the art of distilling corn whisky, aka. white lightning (watt lattnin’). I’ve sampled the wares purportedly produced by him and I will say it is some of the finest (fahnust) liquor (likker) I’ve ever tasted. Not that there’s much taste to it, but in terms of alcohol is some of the smoothest. This is the stuff to make you twenty-foot-tall and bullet-proof, if that be your inclination.

For a man engaging in atavistic pursuits in the 21st century, he is surprisingly savvy at self-marketing himself. From books, to movies, and even Wikipedia– who he is and what he does is far from a secret.