If you’re starting a podcast about Benny “Tater” McClure, the fan-favorite outlaw from Sevierville, Tennessee, who dominates on Moonshiners and Master Distiller, here are a few description options depending on your show's vibe.

Smokey Mountain Squatch Shine is a moonshine brand founded by Tracy Arvin. The brand is deeply rooted in Arvin's personal history and his lifelong interest in the legend of Bigfoot.

Origin and Inspiration

The brand serves as a tribute to a childhood encounter Arvin had in 1978 in Eastern Kentucky. According to Arvin, while walking to his school bus as an eight-year-old, he was repeatedly followed by a mysterious "thing in the woods" that whistled and emitted a powerful, skunky odor.

This experience culminated in the disappearance of a neighbor's dog, which was later found dead in a manner that convinced Arvin and his family that the predator was not a person or a bear, but a Sasquatch. This event had a profound impact on him, eventually leading him to create a brand centered around the cryptid.

Brand Presence

• Community Involvement: Tracy Arvin is an active figure in the moonshining community. He has been featured at events like Squatch-A-Palooza at Drop Zone Distilling in Knoxville and the Hillbilly Jam in Maggie Valley.
• Collaborations: He is often seen collaborating and "talking shop" with other notable figures in the moonshine world, such as PhilBilly and Moonshiner Bruiser.
• Media: Beyond the moonshine brand, Arvin hosts a podcast called All Things Unexplained, where he discusses various mysteries and cryptids

Mena Pratt (also referred to as Mena Killough Pratt) is a Master Distiller known for her background in herbal medicine and her appearance on the Discovery Channel show "Moonshiners' Master Distiller," which she won.

Here are some key details about her:

• Background: She started her career as a massage therapist before getting a degree from the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in 2013. Her knowledge of herbalism led her into the hospitality industry as a server/bartender, where she began utilizing her knowledge to create custom bitters and incorporate botanicals into cocktails.
• Distilling Career: Her path became clearer when she researched amari (herbal liqueurs) and realized their historical connection to herbalists. She has worked as a Master Distiller at Unknown Wood and Grain (formerly part of Unknown Brewing Company) in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Specialty: Her expertise blends the worlds of herbalism and distilling, resulting in unique creations like Blue Lotus cocktail bitters and a Reishi Mushroom Syrup.
• Media Appearance: She gained wider recognition after winning an episode of Moonshiners' Master Distiller, where she even crafted an absinthe despite not having made one before the show.

come join us as we learn how Brad Sanders went from Home Distiller to legal label on the shelf in a major distillery through heart passion and soul

Flatrock Distillery (formally Flatrock Distilling Company) is a family-owned and operated distillery located in Maumee, Ohio.

They are rooted in the tradition of distilling, with the head distiller, Lawrence Pritchard III, being a fourth-generation distiller whose family history includes bootlegging. He was also an Ohio contestant on the show Moonshiners Master Distiller.

Key Information

• Location: Flatrock Distillery & Bistro is located in The Shops at Fallen Timbers in Maumee, Ohio. They opened this new location in 2023. They also operate a Rickhouse (aging facility) in Napoleon, Ohio.
• Offerings: The Maumee location features a full tasting bar and bistro-style restaurant where you can enjoy their spirits, cocktails, wine, and local craft beer, along with a meal.
• Products: They specialize in a variety of small-batch spirits, including:
  • Bourbon & Whiskey (Award-winning)
  • Moonshine (They specialize in small batch moonshine)
  • Rum
• Heritage: The company prides itself on sourcing materials locally from Ohio farmers and continuing a family legacy of spirits-making.
• Northern Yankee Moonshine is a craft distillery located in Ripley, Ohio, which specializes in making small-batch spirits, primarily focusing on moonshine and rum.Here are the key aspects of the distillery:
  • Location: The distillery is located in Ripley, Ohio (Brown County, on the Ohio River). Their address is 904 Hamburg St., in the building that was formerly Kinkeade Ridge Winery.
  • Owner and Master Distiller: The distillery was founded by Doug Taylor and his business partner, Cheryl Albert. Doug Taylor gained recognition after being named a Master Distiller for his signature Honey Peach Brandy on a season of the Discovery Channel's reality show, Moonshiners Master Distiller.
  • Products: They produce several spirits, which initially included:
    • Honey Peach Moonshine/Brandy: The recipe that won Doug Taylor the Master Distiller title.
    • White Lightning (a classic unaged corn whiskey/moonshine
  • Customer Experience: The location includes a distilling and bottling plant, a tasting room, and a retail store, allowing patrons to sample their products before purchasing bottles.
  • Pap's Hilltop Distillery is a family-owned micro-distillery located in the historic downtown of Bainbridge, Ohio.It's a business deeply connected to the history of the Appalachian region and is run by the Lewis family, specifically co-owners Chris and Katy Lewis.Here are the key characteristics of the distillery:
    • Location: 117 East Main Street, Bainbridge, Ohio (located in the beautiful Paint Valley area of Southern Ohio). The area has a rich history of moonshining, even going back to Prohibition.
    • The "Pap's" Name: The distillery is named in honor of the family's father, Joe Lewis, who was affectionately called "Pap" by neighborhood kids. Joe was originally from the hills of southeastern Kentucky, connecting the distillery to a strong tradition of Appalachian spirits.

Best Friends Distillery is a micro-batch craft distillery located in Argenta, Illinois.

It was founded by two best friends, Jill Minassian and Annie Kirby, who turned their long-time friendship and passion into a business, with a mission to curate the "finest moments between friends" with their spirits. Jill also has a family legacy of spirits-making (her father was an avid moonshiner), which was a driving force behind the venture.

Here are some key details:

• Location: 281 N. North Street, Argenta, IL 62501 (Central Illinois).
• Products: They primarily create truly handcrafted vodka and rum. They have also mentioned plans to eventually distill gin. One specific rum product is called Midnight Caye, an Agave spirit inspired by Baja California.
• Production: The spirits are crafted in small, 50-gallon batches.
• Public Access: Currently, they do not have a tasting room or facilities open to the public. Their products are sold at various liquor stores, bars, and restaurants, primarily across Illinois.

In short, it's a small, local Illinois distillery focused on crafting spirits—particularly vodka and rum—inspired by and dedicated to the bond of friendship.

Ace Custom Copper is a veteran-owned and operated small business based in Elizabethton, Tennessee, that specializes in traditional Appalachian craftsmanship.

The core of their business is designing and hand-building fully functional custom copper moonshine stills and distillation equipment that they describe as "hand-crafted works of art."

Flaming Aces Distillery is a craft distillery located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, that focuses on producing high-quality spirits rooted in Appalachian tradition.

Here is a detailed description:

📍 Location and Heritage

• Location: Elizabethton, Tennessee.
• Historical Significance: It is noted as the first legal distillery to open in Carter County in over 120 years, paying homage to the region's rich history of moonshining.

🔗 Connection to Ace Custom Copper

• Founder: The distillery was founded by U.S. Army veteran and master distiller Tracy Bumgarner (or Tracey Bumgartner), who is also the owner of Ace Custom Copper.
• In-House Production: The distillery emphasizes that everything, from the spirits to the equipment, is made in-house. They ferment and distill their products using their own custom-built copper stills created by Ace Custom Copper.

Benny "Tater" McClure is an outlaw moonshiner from Sevierville, Tennessee, known for his deep commitment to traditional techniques.

He is a successful competitor on the show Moonshiners: Master Distiller, where he utilizes his traditional backwoods knowledge to create a variety of handcrafted spirits. One spirit he is specifically known for is his Oaked Apple Moonshine, which was released after a competition win.

In short, he embodies the spirit of an old-school, skilled moonshiner who can compete and win at the highest level of distilling challenges.

Brandon Buffington earned the title of Master Distiller by winning Season 3 of the Discovery Channel show, Moonshiners Master Distiller. His winning creation was a recipe he called "Prehistoric Shine," which featured a unique mash bill utilizing Ancient Grains like Kamut and White Wheat, along with Honey Malt, Raw Honey, and Blood Oranges. The judges lauded his final product, calling it "One of the finest jars of liquor in the history of the show." His victory secured him a commercial run of his recipe at the renowned Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In addition to his on-screen success, Buffington is also known as the owner of his own venture, Buffington House Fine Spirits.

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