'Moonshiners' Stars Dispute Blindness Claims, Cite Prohibition-Era Poisoning and Lead Contamination

Stars of the Discovery Channel series "Moonshiners" are challenging the long-held warning that illicit liquor can cause blindness. Mark Ramsey and Eric "Digger" Manes contend that the notorious reputation of moonshine is more deeply rooted in historical events like Prohibition-era government poisoning of industrial alcohol and the use of lead in early distilling equipment, rather than the inherent nature of the distilled spirit.

"There was a lot of propaganda out there," Manes told Fox News Digital. "It was said that it could make you go blind, make you die, make you go crazy, make you get the jack leg. The government was the one that was poisoning the industrial alcohol the people were stealing to make bathtub gin."

Historical accounts support the idea that intentionally poisoned alcohol contributed to health crises. During Prohibition, the U.S. government mandated the addition of toxic substances to industrial alcohol to deter its consumption. According to the Smithsonian Channel, some of this tainted alcohol found its way into the illegal liquor market. This practice led to fatal consequences, with reports of deaths in New York City on Christmas Day 1926 attributed to poisoned industrial alcohol containing methyl alcohol, which can cause blindness and death.

Ramsey acknowledged that genuine health risks were associated with moonshine in earlier generations, but attributed them to unintentional factors. "Back in the day, there were people who had health issues because of moonshine," Ramsey explained. "The solder that they used to build the pots had lead in it back in the day, and they didn't know that it was happening. So once it was discovered that the solder had lead in it, even the old timers here, when they built their stills, they no longer soldered their joints on the inside of the pots."

While improper distillation can lead to dangerous levels of methanol, a toxic alcohol that can damage the optic nerve and cause permanent vision loss or death, traditional moonshine production, when done correctly, does not inherently cause blindness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of the severe consequences of methanol poisoning.

"Moonshiners," which is in its 16th season, has been airing since 2011 and follows individuals in Appalachia who continue the tradition of making moonshine. The show aims to portray a craft that Ramsey describes as being done by "very, very good people" who were "simply doing what they had to do to survive back in the day."

Legally, producing and selling spirits like moonshine requires compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Federal law generally prohibits home distillation for personal consumption, though recent legal challenges have raised questions about the constitutionality of these restrictions. In April 2026, federal appeals courts issued conflicting rulings on a long-standing prohibition against home distilling, with one upholding the restriction and another finding it unconstitutional. The matter has reached the Supreme Court.

Ramsey and Manes are also working to dispel stereotypes about moonshiners themselves, with Ramsey stating, "A lot of times, people give it a bad name because they just see it as poison and a bunch of heathens out doing stuff they shouldn’t do." He noted that historically, much of the Appalachian-produced moonshine was not sold locally but shipped north and to the East Coast, indicating a demand beyond the immediate region.

Looking ahead, Ramsey expressed optimism for the future of the craft, believing a new generation of distillers is eager to carry on the tradition. "I think it's got a future, a very healthy one," he said. "Things will change. It's been argued that the best drink of liquor hasn't been made yet, so they've got something to shoot for."