Birdie Brown’s Plain Hooch

Call it what you will—moonshine, white whiskey, white lightning; essentially, it’s an unaged whiskey and delicious. But hooch, as it’s commonly known, is often associated with college kitchen sinks (see Jungle Juice) and “hicks,” with its history of craft distillery and homesteaders being lost to time. One brand is working to change that and elevate yet another Black distiller and pioneer, Birdie Brown.

“When I read about her story, I was just amazed. I didn’t even know African Americans tried to homestead”, says co-owner of Birdie Brown Plain Hooch, David Schure, “I am amazed at how strong and brave she was to have embarked on that mission. A National Parks Service study estimated that 3,500 African Americans successfully obtained their patents for approximately 650,000 acres! I had no idea. That part of history usually doesn’t mention us. But we were there.”

“A lot of people don’t think of moonshine in a super-premium way,” Schure continues. But he recommends Birdie be your new go-to replacement in your favorite vodka drinks or in a Moscow Mule. “It is really versatile.” Don’t think of Birdie Brown as a bougie-branded Everclear either, “It differs greatly from most moonshines on the market in that most of those are made from 100% corn and offer a completely different taste. Birdie Brown Plain Hooch has zero corn. We use wheat, oats, and barley at a craft distillery we contract within Montana. Those are all much more expensive ingredients than corn. And that mash bill allows us to go in the bottle at 100 proof and still deliver an unbelievably smooth finish,” says Schure. Get a taste of Birdie Brown over on their website, which features delicious cocktail recipes like What an Angel, a heavenly mix of hooch, vermouth, and St. Germain.

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