About this season
Think the days of bootleggers, backwoods stills and "white lightning" are over? Not a chance! It's a multi-million dollar industry. But perhaps more importantly to the moonshiners, it's a tradition dating back hundreds of years, passed down to them from their forefathers. It's part of their history and culture. While this practice is surprisingly alive and well, it's not always legal. Moonshiners tells the story of those who brew their shine - often in the woods near their homes using camouflaged equipment - and the local authorities who try to keep them honest. Viewers will witness practices rarely, if ever, seen on television including the sacred rite of passage for a moonshiner - firing up the still for the first time. They will also meet legends, including notorious moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton.
Episodes (18)
1. American Spirits
Aired 17 November 2015 • 42 min
In the Season 5 premiere, moonshine is in demand and the law is on the hunt. Included: Tim faces a dilemma that jeopardizes his legit business; Jeff, Mark and Lance aim to double their profits; and Josh and Bill find themselves on shaky legal ground.
2. Whiskey Burn
Aired 24 November 2015 • 42 min
Mark and Digger come up with a revolutionary still design in the first weeks of shine season, during which the outlaws are eager to turn a profit before the cops close in. Josh and Bill's first run leaves a bitter taste. Jeff, Mark and Lance scope out the competition.
3. Gone A-Rye
Aired 1 December 2015 • 42 min
Shiners attempt to stay off the grid as the outside world encroaches on the backwoods. Tim breaks the news about the fate of Climax Moonshine. Jeff, Mark and Lance search for a new site before rivals can grab hold of the market.
4. Still Life
Aired 8 December 2015 • 42 min
Shine season is in full swing as Josh & Bill find themselves with no still, no home base and no shine. Mark & Digger enlist a whiskey legend to find out why their first run went awry. Mark, Jeff & Lance undertake construction on an ambitious still site.
5. Rain or Shine
Aired 15 December 2015 • 42 min
Weeks into moonshine season, Josh & Bill race to finish their still site and make their first run. Intruders interrupt Mark & Digger's rye test. A deadly disaster leaves Tim rattled and rethinking his plans to expand.
6. A Very Moonshiners Christmas
Aired 22 December 2015 • 42 min
Christmas in Appalachia finds the shiners embracing the Yuletide spirit as they gather with friends and loved ones, wrap themselves with new traditions and create new flavors of liquor.
7. Scotch on the Rocks
Aired 29 December 2015 • 42 min
It's one step forward and two steps back for Josh and Bill as they near the completion of their bunker. Meanwhile, Jeff, Mark and Lance are $6000 in the hole after losing a batch of mash before starting work on their Highland Scotch.
8. Six Feet Undercover
Aired 5 January 2016 • 42 min
Mark and Digger craft 150 gallons of brandy with Jim Tom's help and must get it into the hands of their customers.
9. Out on a Limb
Aired 12 January 2016 • 42 min
In North Carolina a behemoth threatens to undo months of construction for Josh and Bill. A nocturnal prowler threatens Patti and David's clandestine operation and battle lines are drawn in Kentucky as Chico and Tyler clash over creative differences.
10. Trouble Brewing
Aired 19 January 2016 • 42 min
As the summer winds down, the shiners double their efforts to make a profit. Tim Smith heads out on a quest to dominate the international shine market.
11. Caved In
Aired 26 January 2016 • 42 min
Patti and David work on a fiery, new brew. Elsewhere, the feud continues between Josh and Bill.
12. Cherry Bounce
Aired 2 February 2016 • 42 min
It's the final weeks of summer and shiners are putting it all on the line. Tim must create a way to fill a massive international order and it’s judgment day in Virginia as Tickle puts on a brave face for court.
13. Shine 'Til You Drop
Aired 9 February 2016 • 42 min
The stakes get higher as shine season nears its end. Mark and Digger leave disaster behind for a new still site as Patti and David's jalapeno whiskey drives them to sell in unfamiliar territory.
14. Still Regretting
Aired 16 February 2016 • 42 min
Josh is down his right hand and his right hand man. Snags at the distillery have production at a halt and Tim's future in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Chico and Sandra set out on horseback for some mountain shining.
15. Virgin Whiskey
Aired 23 February 2016 • 42 min
Chico & Sandra are anxious to get back in the saddle and make their first run. Tim's behemoth tank might not be the ticket to fulfilling the Poland order after all . With Jim Tom by his side, Josh churns out a family heritage spirit.
16. Presidential Shine
Aired 1 March 2016 • 42 min
Patti & David rush to sell off their stash before a local fracking operation ends their season in a bust. Jeff, Mark and Lance hope that a classic recipe will save their season. A calling card from the law may bring Mark & Digger's season to an end.
17. End of an Era
Aired 8 March 2016 • 42 min
It’s last call in shine country. Tim is thousands of cases of shine away from delivering the order of a lifetime. Mark & Digger receive the surprise of their lives in the middle of a shine sale. Josh is working on one last score and making amends.
18. Need For Speed
Aired 15 March 2016 • 42 min
Josh aims to take his dirt track skills to the next level with the help of a speedway pro. Tyler searches for the perfect bootlegging car. Mark & Huck take their haul off-road to deliver across state lines. Mark & Digger aim to revive a heritage car.