moonshiners

Chris Knight's avatar
Earlier today Pam Sutton, the widow of legendary moonshiner and American icon Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton, shared the following photograph on the official Facebook page for the annual Popcorn Sutton Jam.
This is the very last photograph that was taken of Popcorn.  It was made the morning before his passing…
Pam Sutton elaborates: “This is one of the pictures that I don’t like to share very much. You see, this was taken the day he left this world. This was my last image of him. I loved him so. If you look at his feet, you will see the jars that would become his first legal run. He was the first moonshiner to go legal in East Tennessee.”
I will forever be lamenting that I never got to meet Popcorn Sutton in person.  Having come to meet and know several people who were in his life, I can’t help but
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Chris Knight's avatar

The legend of Popcorn Sutton lives on!  Thirteen years after he tragically left us, Sutton is definitely not forgotten.  The “last of the old time moonshiners” has been the basis of many an Internet meme and last month was the now-annual Popcorn Sutton Jam in east Tennessee.  The man was the subject of a recent book packed with photos.  And word has it that his original recipe likker is selling well… legally of course.

For a number of years, North Carolina filmmaker Neal Hutcheson produced a series of documentaries for PBS featuring Popcorn.  Two months ago he posted onto YouTube a 2022 remaster of The Last One, which at the time was about Popcorn Sutton’s alleged final brew of moonshine.  It’s well worth a watch if you’re at all a fan of Popcorn or have an interest in Appalachian culture.  It also boasts some awesome music!

 

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Chris Knight's avatar

This honestly shouldn’t have to be said again, ‘cuz I’ve made enough fuss about it already. But even so…

Folks, I really, really can not help anyone to build, buy or otherwise acquire a moonshine still.

The hit TV series Moonshiners is in the midst of its second season and as last year, this blog is getting slammed with visits from good people looking for information about moonshining in general and about Popcorn Sutton in particular. I’m very honored that The Knight Shift has become such a popular resource for this aspect of Appalachian culture and the most famous practitioner of the art.

But, ummmmm… this sincerely is all that I can do at the moment, friends and neighbors. The moment that such information does become readily available, I’ll not only post where you can buy stills but I’ll publish blueprints and plans for them too! Hey, I wanna see ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

It started as one evening’s tribute in music and song of the memory of legendary moonshiner Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton. Last year it became a full-blown event that had to be moved to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, practically at the last minute because there was so much interest.

And this year, it’s gonna be even bigger!

The 3rd Annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam kicks off this afternoon at 4 p.m. in Maggie Valley, North Carolina (about 40 minutes west of Asheville). At least fifteen bands will be performing country, bluegrass, a bit of everything in between. There will be tons of food and drink (“…but will there be moonshine?!”), merchandise for sale, loads more.

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend this year’s festivities because of something else that I have to attend to this weekend. But I was at last year’s Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam and ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

The past several weeks have seen an exploding amount of interest in the life and art of Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton: the legendary brewer of moonshine. It will be three years next month that he left us… but Popcorn Sutton has gotta be smiling and laughing his butt off in Heaven at how his myth has grown down here on Earth! Ever since his family began legally selling Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee White Whiskey I’ve seen it going for $150 a jar on eBay. And then a few days ago Kellie Pickler introduced it to Ellen DeGeneres on national television, in a clip that simply must be seen.

Meanwhile, there are things going on behind the scenes that I’ve been sworn to secrecy on that… well, y’all will just have to wait and see how uberawesome this is all gonna be! I can tell you that the third annual Popcorn ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

This has been one of the crazier past few days in this blog’s history. Ever since Discovery Channel aired the final episode of its hit series Moonshiners a few nights ago the traffic to The Knight Shift has been ginormous! Seems that all the writing I’ve been doing over the years about Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton has put me on the radar of likker lovers across the Intertubes. Since the Moonshiners finale aired many of those – and quite a lot of new readers – have been coming here with but one question above all others…

“How can I get some of that Popcorn Sutton moonshine???”

Here’s the post that I made back in October when Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee White Whiskey first went on sale. Look at all those comments that have been left since the other night. That ain’t even half of the correspondence that’s been coming in ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Recent events in my personal life have kept me from watching Discovery Channel’s new hit series Moonshiners, but many have told me that it’s a most excellent reality series about those free souls who make likker in true Appalachian style!

I shall however be tuned in tonight (as well as having my DVR set to record) as I have just received word straight from Pam Sutton, the lovely and vivacious widow of moonshining legend Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton, that tonight’s episode is supposed to feature Popcorn rather heavily.

I can attest that interest in Popcorn Sutton is soaring of late, as this blog is getting slammed with visits from people Google-ing about Popcorn and his trade. But I should also note that nowhere on The Knight Shift (so far that I know of) can there be found plans to build a moonshine still of one’s own. And trust ...

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