Seen At 11: Prohibition Is Long Gone, But The Mystique Of Moonshine Lives On

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Prohibition ended 82 years ago this month, but the mystique of moonshine lives on.

Once the bad boy of booze, the spirit is in demand and trendier than ever.

As CBS2's Maurice Dubois explained, moonshine is sort of where everything begins.

Whiskey, not the more commonly known aged variety happening in the barrels at the Kings County Distillery, but straight from the still moonshine.

"It's kind of the precursor to what bourbon becomes," said Colin Spoelman, Master Distiller and Co-Founder of Kings County Distillery.

Moonshine is unaged whiskey. The name comes from its illicit background, when it was brewed and sold literally by the light of the moon undercover during Prohibition -- and always out of sight of the taxman.

In the past, moonshine wasn't known for its taste. That's changed.

"We take care to take a very narrow cut of what comes out of the still, which ultimately yields a more expensive, but much smoother and more palatable spirit," Spoelman said.

The six-year-old Brooklyn distillery has come a long way since the days of the backwoods still. The carefully tended operation boils and ferments about three tons of corn weekly. It's combined with barely into a mash that's cooked, and the liquid basically is moved through the pipes and coils. The vapors cool inside the contraption, and the alcohol runs out.

"Everybody has a different type of moonshine. Ours is made of fruits," said William Valentin, Co-Owner of Port Morris Distillery said.

At the Port Morris Distillery in the Bronx, the moonshine takes on a Latin flavor and is called pitoro.

"Everytime I say 'moonshine' people go 'ohh,' they're making a lot of different faces until they taste it," Valentin said.

Port Morris started their production in a homemade still. Now, they've vastly upgraded and produce three kinds of moonshines, that's sampled and sold in their tasting room.

Also hitting the top shelf in some trendy bars is the very upscale looking Manhattan Moonshine.

"Cocktail bars are always looking for the next product, they're always looking for the  next flavor," William Kehler, founder and chief executive officer Manhattan Moonshine, said.

One oat based moonshine has even made it to the top of the cocktail menu at Shorty's Bar.

"If we can create something that's just a little bit different, and a little bit sexier for people, that's something they'll flock to," Kehler said.

Distillers are not only working to perfect their spirit, they're also making a sound business decision in bottling moonshine.

It goes right from the still, into the bottle, to be sold, no aging necessary.