This recession is getting more ridiculous than we thought. Wooed by the trends of financial crises past, the nation’s youths are looking to the 20s and 30s for lifestyle inspiration. And as if the raccoon hats and speakeasies weren’t enough, the latest trend brings speakeasies right into the convenience of your own kitchen. According to BBC News , the kids are making moonshine. Prohibition historian Max Watman says, “The stigma has gone. It’s become cool.” However, it’s just as dangerous as ever. Anyone found guilty of distilling alcohol without a license faces up to a $15,000 fine and up to five years in prison. There’s also that whole risk of your kitchen exploding. But the “hipster kids, foodie enthusiasts and hobbyists on America’s coasts” say it’s worth the risk. One Brooklyn distiller says, “Growing up, me and my brothers watched our dad make moonshine in the bathtub. Now we do it.” Not even the city’s watering holes are immune to the secretive allure. Chef Sam Mason tells Metromix that he sometimes offers the homemade liquor at Lady Jay’s . But he can’t guarantee it every night, saying, “You can’t cross the BQE with that stuff.” The anonymous Brooklyn distiller says she bought her still online for several hundred dollars, though for just $245 you can invest in this one that says making whiskey will be “almost as easy as making coffee.” And if you’re worried about the long arm of the law keeping you from that sweet grain alcohol, Colonel Wilson of Copper Moonshine Stills has a whole web page dedicated to how to “beat the law.” (Hint: drag out the case!) This all seems a bit too complicated for the pleasure of getting a buzz. We can’t wait until going to regular, non-hidden bars becomes retro-chic.

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Youths Bringing Back Ancient Craft of Moonshine Distilling