It didn’t take America long to figure out that the short lived Discovery “reality TV” show Moonshiners was a fake. The real question was why did it take Discovery Channel so long to pull the plug?

Most people familiar with moonshine culture didn’t need recent confirmation from the state of Virginia to figure out the ill-fated Moonshiners series was a fake, but it was a welcomed sign that at least someone involved wasn’t going along.

In an online interview one person suggested that he actually made moonshine, which is illegal; in response, the agency that regulates alcohol in Virginia said on Thursday that the show was just a dramatization. “If illegal activity was actually taking place, the Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement would have taken action,” the agency told The Associated Press.

The show sure is suggestive, though. In one episode, two people are shown apparently firing up their distillery for the first time. A Discovery spokeswoman declined to comment.

There is a deep historic connection America has with moonshine and whiskey making. Moonshine is a part of our nation’s rich agricultural heritage. We have nothing to be ashamed about other than our willingness to accept cheap portrayals of our very American story.

UPDATE 12-7-12: Since this post, me and some friends opened a distillery and launched an award winning brand of 105 proof authentic Tennessee moonshine that made Short Mountain famous for generations. If you want to see how moonshine is made in broad day light and experience the heart of America’s moonshine revival, come meet our three living legends of backwoods whiskey making heritage. Here’s a short video about who and what we are: