MT. AUBURN, Iowa (KCRG) - A man from Mt. Auburn is the latest winner of the Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners: Master Distiller.
Justin Meredith’s brisket flavored moonshine and strawberry cheesecake sipping cream wowed the judges, including guest judge Robert Irvine.
“The brisket for me is off the chain, a hundred percent perfect. That’s the future of liquor I think,” Irvine said when judging Meredith’s moonshine.
Meredith was given four hours to make moonshine per round and he came out on top, defeating his other two competitors.
Despite Meredith’s knack for distilling moonshine, it’s still an illegal practice in Iowa.
But he said that should be changed.
“All we want to do is be able to appreciate our hobby without getting in trouble for it,” Meredith said.
One of the legal concerns about the home brewing of moonshine is if distillers sell it and don’t pay the necessary taxes.
But Meredith said the distillers he knows consider it a pastime, not a business.
“We’re not trying to go out and sell it. We’re not trying to get rich off of it. We just want to enjoy our hobby,” Meredith said.
The distilling process can also be dangerous - many of the ingredients are flammable and could cause explosions.
There are possible health concerns as well.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says improperly distilled moonshine can contain methanol which can lead to blindness or even death.
But Meredith said he always puts in the work to make sure his moonshine is safe.
“This is something that we love, it’s something that we pour our heart and soul into, and spend hours upon hours upon hours of doing research and diving into the science of everything,” Meredith said.
Overall the master distiller says he just wants to practice his craft at home without breaking the law.
“I understand that selling it and you know passing it around to other people is frowned upon and that’s fine. But let us make it for ourselves,” Meredith said.
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