Hooch vs. Moonshine — What's the Difference?

Hooch originally referred to homemade alcohol, often with questionable quality and safety, typically associated with makeshift or clandestine distillation. Whereas, moonshine historically refers to illegally made, untaxed liquor, especially during the Prohibition era in the United States, and is often associated with secret distillation in rural areas.

While hooch emphasizes the homemade and potentially unsafe aspect of illicit alcohol, moonshine evokes images of hidden stills and a rebel spirit against taxation and prohibition laws. Moonshine has a romanticized outlaw image, linked to bootleggers and speakeasies, while hooch is more colloquially used to imply any cheap or low-quality illegal alcohol.

Moonshine's roots are deeply entwined with American history, particularly in the Appalachian region, where distilling skills were passed down through generations. In contrast, hooch is a more general term that can apply to any homemade alcoholic concoction, often without the historical or cultural connotations of moonshine.

Despite their differences, both terms carry a sense of illegality and the potential for danger, both from legal consequences and from the health risks associated with consuming alcohol of unknown purity and potency. Today, both terms can sometimes be used more loosely or humorously, and there's a growing craft distilling movement that seeks to legitimize and elevate the quality of traditionally illicit spirits.