moonshiner music - vol.3

With the third episode of Moonshiner Music, the series dedicated to properly distilled music, we continue our journey through music and whisky, crossing very different eras and atmospheres. From the American tradition of moonshine in the Appalachian Mountains, through Christmas sarcasm, to decidedly darker territories.

As always, the idea is simple: to recount songs that have a strong connection with the imagery of whisky, accompanying them with the right glass.

“good old mountain dew”

The first song takes us back to the Prohibition era in the Appalachian Mountains. “Good Old Mountain Dew” is a traditional song about the world of moonshine: clandestine distillers, rural communities, and an America that had no intention of giving up its traditions.

Composed by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in 1928 and later adapted in the 1930s, the song helped popularize the term Mountain Dew as a synonym for moonshine. A light and traditional start, perfect for warming up.

“the season’s upon us”

With the second song, we move into the present, or rather, that time of year that all families know very well: Christmas.

“The Season's Upon Us” by Dropkick Murphys recounts the less romantic side of the holidays: relatives who can't stand each other, wrong gifts, and frayed nerves. All with the irony and energy typical of the band, which mixes punk rock and Irish folk.

The most iconic scene in the song (and video) is that of the father isolating himself in another room to drink his whisky in peace, together with his dog. A solution that many find quite understandable.

“drink with the living dead”

The last song changes the tone completely. Ghoultown's “Drink with the Living Dead” takes us into an imaginary horror-western world of dusty saloons, undead gunslingers, and whisky fights.

The protagonist finds himself forced to drink with a dead gunslinger to avoid ending up in the grave himself. It's a simple and direct story, perfectly consistent with the band's aesthetic, which combines metal, dark western atmospheres, and macabre irony.

This episode of Moonshiner Music brings together three different worlds, linked by a single element: whisky as a companion to stories, atmospheres, and characters. From tradition to sarcasm to darkness, the important thing is always the same: good music, poured at the right moment.

And in case you missed the first two episodes:

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the mysterious break-in at the liquor store

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noctis domini 2025