tastings and witblits tours to promote the liquor and raise the profile of their brands. In Philippolis, located in the Free State Province, an annual Witblits Festival is held every April, where visitors to the festival and taste and purchase their Witblits liquors. If you do find yourself attending the Wiblits Festival, be prepared to witness or partake in the ’bokdrol spoeg’ a competition which involves spitting Witblits-soaked kudu droppings. Legal concerns Witblits distillation for the purpose of large volume resale is illegal in South Africa. In 1924 the government passed legislation which gave KWV a monopoly on brandy production. All stills had to be marked and registered with Customs and Excise, and detailed records kept as to the amount and strength of any liquor produced. Farmers were allowed to produce liquor only from fruit grown on their land. In the United States of America (USA) Moonshine is illegal mainly due to the revenue that it produces compared to beer or wine. The tax excise on spirits is approximately $2.14 per bottle compared to $0.14 per bottle of wine and $0.05 per can of beer. There is also a concern for the health of consumers thereof and the safety risk behind homemade brewing due to the apparatus involved. In some States a person can still purchase a legal version of witblits or moonshine from commercial distillers. Total volume produced cannot exceed a fixed amount per year as detailed in local South African laws. Side effects Intoxication, flushed skin, impairment of balance, loss of muscle control, feeling of euphoria, decreased social inhibition, impaired decision making, blindness, neurological damage, paralysis See also Moonshine Moonshine by country Philippolis Tincture Distillation Notes and references Further reading http://food.iafrica.com/happy_hour/142234.html http://www.southafrica.net/blog/en/posts/entry/11-south-african-drinks-to-try http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me1.html http://distillique.co.za/distilling_shop/articles/distilling-witblits-in-the-mountains.html http://www.poligrappa.com/eng/news/faq/which-is-the-difference-between-grappa-and-grape-brandy.php https://www.aficionados.co.za/blog/?id=5 Food and drink culture South African distilled drinks