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Moonshine on the Island

Broadcast Date: May 19, 1982

Utter the word "moonshine" and an image of good ol' boys picking banjos in remote pockets of Appalachia are sure to come to mind. Yet the strains of bagpipes and the red soil of Prince Edward Island might well replace that image, according to this 1982 clip from CBC-TV's The Fifth Estate. In farm sheds and back lots, generations of Islanders have constructed stills to brew their own liquor. Some sell it for a few dollars on the side, but others say their moonshine-making is just for fun, not profit.

Moonshine on the Island

• Moonshine is so named because it is typically made in illicit circumstances under cover of darkness. On Prince Edward Island it is traditionally made with molasses.

• There are wineries and breweries on P.E.I., as well as a vodka distillery - a natural for a place renowned for its potatoes. The island's Myriad View Artisan Distillery, founded in 2006, makes "Strait Lightning," a "high-potency premium Shine." According to the distillery's website, "shine" (as it is known in the province) is still a traditional drink at weddings and social gatherings on P.E.I.

Moonshine on the Island

Medium: Television

Program: The Fifth Estate

Broadcast Date: May 19, 1982

Guest(s): Darryl Aucoin, Leif Beck, Emerson Gormley, Leo Killorn, Clovey Perry

Host: Robert McKeown

Duration: 12:30

Last updated:
Oct. 21, 2008

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Moonshine on the Island

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