The Discovery Channel’s show Moonshiners made one Virginia man famous, but distiller Tim Smith says it didn’t make him rich, so he’s found another way to achieve that goal.
Viewers who’ve seen Moonshiners definitely have the impression of reality TV, as Tim Smith - who lives in Climax, Virginia - fires up an illegal still with the help of his son JT and his business partner Tickle. “Hidden deep within the hollows of a forgotten hollow of America, a battle is raging.”
Week after week they evade law enforcement, to the embarrassment of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Soon after the show launched, the agency put out a press release stressing that it didn’t know Discovery would portray its program as reality when - in fact - it’s a dramatization.
Smith says the role has made him famous. “When you go into a Cracker Barrel and everybody in the whole place knows you and the kitchen stops working and they come out and say, ‘Tim Smith’s here!” Do you like the celebrity? It’s good and bad. I still like to go to the bathroom alone.” Smith says it’s hard work, and the money isn’t great. “TV makes you famous. It don’t make you rich.”
So Smith says he decided to go straight - making real moonshine, and paying real taxes. Today, bottles of Climax Moonshine are on sale at ABC stores in Virginia and 32 other states where Smith is recognized and admired. “I think they like to see a little country boy like myself make it. Didn’t nobody give it to us. I’ve always liked good moonshine. I’m a country person too. “I like the way they try to avoid the law. I don’t like reality shows, but I like this one.”
At an ABC store in Midlothian, manager Stan Poore says opening day was big. “We had a rush to start with. I’d say about a hundred people, and then for the next two and a half hours it’s been steady -- a lot of fans of the show.”
Bottles feature Smith’s dog - Camo. Reviews of what Smith calls the Drink of Defiance, have been good, and he’s is now talking about selling his moonshine worldwide.
