We finally got another year of this filming foolishness behind us and can sit down an update this interweb thing we've got going on. You guys need to bear with us on this and understand we are both dinosaurs and don't completely understand all this and we are basically doing the best we can.
That being said, we are trying to add more appearances as we can when filming allows. If we don't get in your area we apologize but we can only do so much.
Honestly we aren't really exciting people. We are simple small town folk who work hard (7 days a week most of the time). When we get a little down time we try to hide out and decompress. As far as setting up times to hang out and party with our fans, we don't party like we did in our younger years, so that probably ain't going to happen. We are more than happy to meet our fans and sign an autograph and make a pic or 2 but after that we tend to head out live our lives like other folks.
White lightning, corn liquor, bush whiskey. Whatever name you know it by, moonshine has its roots in Appalachia. With so many distilleries along the parkway in Gatlinburg, you might forget that making this liquor is illegal.
You may have seen the hit show Moonshiners on the Discovery Channel. Local 8 News Anchor Lauren Davis tracked down two men in Cocke County who have turned their outlaw ways into a celebrity status.
You might recognize these faces, Mark Ramsey and and his sidekick Digger Manes of Cocke County who make moonshine. Digger Manes says, "I never thought I'd be in a TV show doing illegal moonshine in the land of Cocke County."
Mark and Digger grew up moonshining and their relationship with the late Popcorn Sutton landed them a role on the show. Mark Ramsey says, "It's authentic. What we do we can't permit ourselves to be found by the law because it is very much against the law."
They start filming in April when the foliage is on the trees. The leaves act as camouflage to their illegal activity. Ramsey says, "The fact of the matter is when it's on TV it's already done. If police aren't involved in the recording process, they can't use that against us because they don't know that that's liquor coming out of the still."
Digger tells me there are far worse things out there than making illegal liquor. He says, "As for law enforcement, we don't know where we stand. We wonder everyday if this is the day they're going to knock on our door."
For both of them, the show is a way to share their heritage with the world. Digger says, "It's a heritage we embrace. There's no shame in it. Your family worked hard and put food on the table."
So as long as Discovery signs them for another season, you can find these boys in the woods or on the Discovery channel making moonshine.
Mark and Digger also work with Sugarland's Distilling Company in Gatlinburg.
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Discovery Channel ''Moonshiners''
Moonshiners on the Moonshining History & Legacy showWhat's Nearby?
Distance: mi.