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"[\n\n](http://blog.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/PerryLangMiller.jpg)\n\nAdam Perry Lang and Chuck Miller are two bootlegging SOBs. Well, not really; but they\u2019re hell-bent on commercializing the clear corn whiskey that\u2019s been associated with illegal liquor production and distilling for centuries in this country. Original MOONSHINE is the collaborative efforts of Perry Lang, chef and owner of restaurants like Daisy May\u2019s BBQ USA in New York, and third-generation master distiller Chuck Miller. They\u2019ve rolled out what they feel to be the best damn Moonshine in the world and we felt summer was the best time to talk to them about it.\n\nThe GQ Eye: How did you guys get together and decide to create the brand and the product?\n\nAdam Perry Lang: I had tasted the real deal at a BBQ competition in the South and it blew me away. I didn\u2019t think that a spirit could have such phenomenal character and it made me feel really good. I also felt part of something, it really captured a moment for me. I was hooked.\n\nFacebookPinterestmoonshine-bottle.jpeg \n\nChuck Miller: Adam had attended BBQ competitions where he\u2019d tried many illegal moonshines. He decided he wanted to sell the best in the US so he tasted all the currently legal producers and deemed mine to be superior. From there we discussed how to make it better. We decided on a formula that was four times distilled and twice filtered.\n\nPerry Lang: Chuck and I are not that different, we\u2019re both chefs, of sorts. He has even refered to his production as &amp;quot;cooking.&amp;quot; I knew a phone call was not going to do, so I got in my car and drove from New York to look him in the eyes, explain my vision, and see if he would be willing to push the envelope and capture the essence of what I was looking for. I had a flavor and nose locked into my mind and held onto that as my goal. I wanted to go higher proof, but my partners felt it would close us off from mainstream. The result decreased the bite, but enhanced the flavor and we found it really enjoyable. Each of our initial partners really contributed to the spirit and mood of what we call Original MOONSHINE. The whole process was long and tough at times, yet in hindsight, really magical.\n\nGQ: Moonshine has such a romanticism to it, it\u2019s so distinctly American. Can you talk a little about what it means to you and why you\u2019re so passionate about producing the spirit?\n\nMiller: Moonshine was first made in North America in Virginia at the Jamestown Colony in 1619. The Europeans had the technology and the Indians had the corn. It\u2019s been produced here in the US now for 400 years. Although it\u2019s had a rough and rocky history, it has stood the test of time. Not only am I preserving a family tradition but also an American tradition.\n\nPerry Lang: I wasn\u2019t aware of how creative and gifted Americans are in the art of spirit-making: wine, beer, etc. until I attended the International Beer Symposium in London. The U.S. microbrewers, especially, are not tied to conventional methods and they\u2019re fearless. That mentality is why I feel so positive about what we produce. It is artisan, it is irreverent to typical industry norms; and also being a history buff, it speaks of a time period which was intensely chaotic, yet people found a way to celebrate and be individuals. Clear whiskey was there for that and our brand is built on it.\n\nGQ: What did you do for the Fourth of July?\n\nPerry Lang: I was in London, so no fireworks, but I prepared a kick-ass BBQ. The Fourth is looked at a bit differently on this side of the pond, if you know what I mean.\n\nMiller: I was in the Culpeper Independence Day Parade with my family, where I carried the flag with my Original MOONSHINE cap on. Moonshine is just as American as apple pie.\n\nGQ: What\u2019s the best way to serve it?\n\nMiller: With sweet tea. Delicious and refreshing.\n\nPerry Lang: I don\u2019t like to mess with it too much. I have yet to get a hangover and it has a happy buzz like a champagne high. It just works for me. One friend of mine coined a phrase which I love to this day: &amp;quot;Man, it makes you want to lift shit.&amp;quot; That\u2019s not to say I recommend trying.\n\nGQ: Any good Original MOONSHINE party stories?\n\nMiller: My family and I were sitting around the table and my brother\u2019s wife said, &amp;quot;This stuff is too smooth to be that strong.&amp;quot; After four shots, she slid off her stool under the table and my brother had to carry her to bed.\n\nPerry Lang: Our launch with John Varvatos for his 10th year anniversary in NYC and &amp;quot;Shine and Swine&amp;quot; at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival in Miami were both epic: just all smiles and good times. To see such a simple idea evolve into two unbelievable events was mind blowing. It was kind of like going to your own wedding and forgetting to eat."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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