Pick up the latest Smithville Review to see a short front page article on our progress. It seems like every time the press pays us a visit, they manage to squeeze just a little more out of us.

On the subject of recipes and processes, some of those may be gleaned from the years of practical experience to be found hiding in the surrounding hills.

“One of the things we haven’t talked about too much yet is that we know some local people who know how to make moonshine,” Grantham revealed. “We are talking to some of them about learning some of their processes. We hope to find a good recipe that we can introduce as a legends kind of thing, and use that to connect the old way of doing things with the new.”

The Short Mountain Boys ride again on New Years Day 2011 with an updated version of the classic Uncle Dave Macon song. Thanks to Good Luck Ola for the lyrics.

Moonshine from Short Mountain was famous long before it was made legal again. Just ask any old-timer and they’ll tell you. The fine products we want to make right here in Cannon County are just a taste of what some people knew to be some of the best moonshine in the country.

Uncle Dave Macon, a celebrated Cannon County resident and country music star, sang “Cannon County Hills” on NBC’s first broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry in October of 1939. The show charmed America with a slice of the South that included an homage to moonshine from Short Mountain. According to historian Robert Mason, it was a favorite song of Uncle Dave.

Here’s some of the lyrics from “Cannon County Hills” talking about what Uncle Dave Macon likely knew from personal experience to be true.

In the Cannon County Mountains, they have bright and growing fountains,
On every hill they have a still.
But you just remember one hundred days from next November,
They’ll be moonshine in the Cannon County hills.
O, those hills, those beautiful hills,
They’ll be moonshine in the Cannon County hills.
Bright lights on Broadway, the sun shines bright in Dixie
But there’s moonshine in the Cannon County hills.

Porter Wagoner also sang about some of the best mash cookers you could find in his song “King Of The Cannon County Hills,” and they happened to be from right here on our very own Short Mountain.

Well the things I know you cannot learn in college
And I don’t need cash cause I ain’t got no bills
I can tell you in a flash just how long to cook your mash
And the best come from the cannon county hills