A day with Junior Johnson: Moonshine, ham 'n stories (cont'd)

10:30 a.m.: Down at the shop

Sometimes in life, things come full circle and such has been the ironic case for Johnson.

He spent most of his young life running moonshine for his father starting at age 8 and continued through his twenties. After a stint in prison, he left the illicit life behind for a fruitful racing career. However, decades later, Johnson is revisiting his roots through modern day moonshine.

Drink like a Champ

Junior Johnson offers a few of his exclusive recipes for you to try at home with a bottle of his Midnight Moon.

Red Flag	Cranberry juice and one shot of Midnight Moon poured over ice.
Burn Out	Midnight Moon, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Sour Mix and a splash of cola.
High Octane	Midnight Moon and Red Bull or any energy drink

In the spring, Johnson unveiled a line of self-branded, legal moonshine called Midnight Moon made in the state's last legal distillery, Piedmont Distillers Inc., in Madison, N.C.

"I've done a lot of things in my life, and my history in the moonshine business is no secret. Back in the old days, we learned to drive cars fast because we'd go to jail if we didn't. Now, I own part of a legal moonshine company that makes the best shine ever," Junior said as he autographed a bottle and pushed it in front of me.

Sweet, my very own moonshine! My first thought was whether or not I could use it in a cosmopolitan.

Evidently, yes, because Junior told me, "It's smoother than vodka and better than whiskey."

Mainly because of the process in which his Midnight Moon is made. Junior is no longer using pot stills down by the creek. Today, Piedmont triple distills his family recipe in a copper column still.

To promote his product, Junior appears at liquor stores around North Carolina that sell Midnight Moon and also talks about his product at racetracks. The first product launch was at the Coca Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway with the help of track president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler.

For years, Junior said friends and businessmen approached him about branding his own moonshine but only until this year was the husband and father of two teenagers ready.

"Several years ago, I was guarded against it in anyway," he said. "I didn't see any harm in it, but I just didn't want to promote alcohol with two young kids at home. But now I think they are old enough to understand."

11:30 a.m.: Drive through Wilkesboro

Part of my adventure with Johnson would be a trip to his friend, Mr. Call's house, to see an authentic, operating moonshine still, I mean, gas-alcohol still. Making moonshine today is still illegal.

Anyway, we climbed in his black farm truck and headed out on Highway 421. En route to Mr. Call's house, Johnson recalled the story that changed his life forever.

Johnson was hauling moonshine for his father's bootlegging business before he even had a driver's license.

"I didn't need one, I wasn't gonna stop anyway," Johnson laughed.

The revenuers never caught him in a car but there was that fateful Sunday night coming home from the racetrack. Johnson, about 23 or 25 years old, was on his way to fire up his father's still. It was done at night so the revenuers wouldn't see the smoke bellowing from the still.

Upon his arrival, federal agents were waiting for Johnson.

"The revenuers had it staked out," he said. "I spent 11 months and three days in the Chillicothe, Ohio, federal prison."

After he served his sentence, Johnson said he returned to the free world with a new perspective and returned to racing with the bootlegging business behind him.

He became such a legend in stock car racing that President Ronald Reagan pardoned him on Dec. 26, 1986 restoring his right to vote and hold a passport, one of Johnson's proudest achievements.

That said, Johnson also prides himself on evading the law behind the wheel for nearly two decades.

Johnson was known for his "bootlegger turn," where he would avoid roadblocks by jerking the wheel to one side and mashing the gas to spin the car 180 degrees and take off in the other direction.

"I never crossed the highway or the paved roads, I stayed on the dirt. You had a 10-to-1 better chance of not getting caught," he said. (Continued)