The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible: Making Beer, Wine, Liqueurs and Moonshine whiskey

by Leon W. Kania

How to make beer, wine, liqueurs, cider and moonshine whiskey. The author dusts off over 30 years of experience to tell you how it's done. He not only tells how to make darned near any kind of beer, wine, liqueur and whiskey you can imagine, he also tells you how to make the equipment to do it with. Ever wondered how a still is made? There are eight types illustrated in this book and though it's illegal to build or possess a still, the illustrations are so complete, you could easily do it! This book includes plans and operating instructions from underground moonshiner manuals used in Mid East oil fields. Some are built with components found in most home kitchens. From moonshine, homebrew, wine and liqueur recipes, to stills, make your own cappers, kegs, scales and even a malt factory from an old freezer, it's all here!Easy to read and humorous, this book entertains you with Alaskan tales and bootlegger's lore while you learn to make everything from beer and blossom wines, to horse turd whiskey and bathtub gin. If you could buy only one "make your own" book for the rest of your life, this is it. It's like getting a whole shelf of books for the price of one!

Genres: Brewing, Nonfiction, Wine

186 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2000

Reviews

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing style is personable and warm, information solid. Made my first wine because this book gave me the confidence to do so. Didn't taste it (hate alcohol), but my husband and a friend did, and liked it enough for refills. Win!

[Sean Yunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several books dealing with all aspects of home brewing. This title is unique in that it starts from ground zero and gives you practical instructions littered with humorous anecdotes.

I consider this part of any self-sufficiency bookshelf. If I fell into a wormhole and was transported 100+ years ago into the past, this book would still be useful.

There are now all manner of specialty products for the home brewer available from boutique websites, but you can make due using common household items. This book explains how.

[Joshsisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential book for anyone who wants alcohol but may not have the finest ingredients to make it. My favorite recipe is Jailhouse Wine. Bakers yeast, sugar, and water or any sugar containing liquid. Cover the container with a glove, balloon or similar material, poke a tiny hole in the glove. When its fermenting the glove expands. When it's ready the glove loses air. Doesn't get any easier than that.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes were essentially the same as every other book or website that deals with distilling, so nothing new there... There were enough little anecdotes, history, and tips to make it interesting, though. Maybe not something for a seasoned distiller, but certainly worthwhile for those just being introduced to the hobby.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book are worthy of five stars and others of a single star. It's simply uneven and disorganized. However, don't let that stop you from reading it. The information is all here, as are some very entertaining tall tales of bootlegging and brewing. I learned a lot and intend to put the information to use!

[William Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of interesting information on making alcohol, from brewing beer to making liqueurs to even distilling. (I was especially grateful for the last section, as it makes me understand why I DON'T want to try to distill things myself.) I recommend for anyone who is interested in starting to make their own booze.

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great "all in one place" book for home brewing and distilling. The author forties technical details for down-to-earth, ground up instructions. A few amusing Alaskan anecdotes are thrown in for good measure.
Definitely a backbone of any home-brewer's library.

[Tara Burns]

I've read a bunch about making wine but this is the first time I've understood wtf is going on. The author has a unique voice and gives a lot of history. The reviewer who said the recipes are the same as every other book was right - but those books aren't as complete as this one.

[Clay Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the author. The tone is condesending. The content is superficial. The relationship to Alaska is strained. Buy the Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Buy Winemaking Month by Month. When I find a good book about distilling I'll share it with you. This book isn't it.

[Tom M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kania's writing can be a bit overly folksy at times, but the information he presents is well worth the effort. His illustrations on still types are clear and his recipes are simple and easy to follow.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for wine makers and homebrewers. Well written and easy to ready, funny and enjoyable. Also contains very detailed information on distillation. Worth reading for the historic antidotes and jokes.

[Endtroducer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is my love of a good alcoholic beverage, the kind you're instructed how to make within.

[Lucias · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic primer on brewing and distilling for just about any budget. Great read.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative.

[A Loose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who brews their own alcohol or has thought about brewing should OWN this book. Not only is the author's voice super fun, but the recipes are simple and easy to understand.

[Aaron Carlberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I should even review this book.

It was informative, but not as informative as others. Read it if you want...it was OK.

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

So to start this guy is about as much of a backwoods, down home, bootlegger as I am. He tries to throw in some extra apostrophes and drop some g's to make himself sound homey but if I had to guess he is probably a fairly well educated, experienced home brewer from suburban Juneau. His anectdotes are pretty mild for a bushman. The backwoods bootlegger gimmick to sell books aside, his info on the making of homemade wine and beer is pretty good. I do believe he is experienced at this and gives some good advice and how to's for the novice home brewer on a budget. You can definitely tell from the chapter on brewing beer at home that this is his true passion. His chapter on homemade equipment is interesting but now days you can find better on Pinterest. The chapter on distilling is definitely the weakest, especially for a self proclaimed bootlegger. I would steer well clear of his homemade stills. His mash recipes are few and extremely basic. The final chapter of the book is recipes to take premade alcohol and create brand name taste-a-likes and how to add liquor extract flavorings to grain to make it taste like something else (i.e., follow the directions on the extract package. meh. Overall not a bad book if you want to get in to making wine and beer at home. Three Stars.