MoonPie Meets MoonShine: Lebanon, Ky.’s, Limestone Branch Distillery bottles MoonPie

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Jan. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- One of America’s most beloved snack foods has  joined flavor forces with one of the country’s oldest whiskey making families. Limestone Branch Distillery’s Steve and Paul Beam, based in Lebanon, Ky., are seventh generation whiskey makers. MoonPies, those graham cracker cookie confections with the marshmallow filling, are made in Chattanoonga, Tenn., by the Campbell family, fifth generation bakers. The delicious result is MoonPie MoonShine – “two great Southern traditions in every jar.”

Back in the early 1900s, MoonPie got its start as the “workingman’s lunch” in the coal mines of Kentucky. Steve and Paul’s family made some of the finest sour mash whiskey in America based on recipes that date back to the 1700s. The authentic small-batch liquor behind the MoonPie MoonShine label is history with a lip smacking kick.

“We’re two families with a strong tradition and distinctively different products combined to make something truly Southern,” said distiller Steve Beam.

The first three MoonPie MoonShine flavors are chocolate, vanilla and banana pie, to be bottled in mid-January. The 750-ml. jars, with a suggested retail of $21.99, should be on store shelves in  Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama in late January – just in time for Mardi Gras.

Limestone Branch will follow up these MoonPie MoonShine flavors with strawberry, orange and lemon for the summer. The distillery will also open a MoonPie Depot Gift Shop this spring.

Limestone Branch, a distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon® Trail Craft Tour, is already gaining a reputation for its quality SugarShine in flavors including blackberry, apple cinnamon and pumpkin pie. The distillery also makes Climax moonshine for Discovery Channel “Moonshiners” star Tim Smith. In fact, Limestone Branch was the site for much of the filming of the “Moonshiners’” current episodes, which airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. EST.

Tours of the distillery are offered 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday and begin at the top of every hour. Evening and private tours are available upon request. The distillery plans to add Twilight Tours and Bourbon Barrel BBQs. By early February, Limestone Branch will have MoonPie MoonShine available for tastings and for purchase. Visit www.LimestoneBranch.com for more details.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Steve Beam, Distiller, SBeam1@aol.com

Limestone Branch Distillery, www.LimestoneBranch.com, 270-699-9004

Carla Wagner, Director@VisitLebanonky.com, 270-692-0021

Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission, www.VisitLebanonKy.com

HI- and LOW-RES photos available.

ABOUT LIMESTONE BRANCH DISTILLERY | Limestone Branch is a family-owned and operated craft distillery whose heritage reaches far back into the lore of Kentucky bourbon. Beam brothers Steve and Paul honor the legacy by using only the finest ingredients and traditional distilling techniques, which includes the use of a 150-gallon hand-hammered copper pot still to produce small, one-barrel batches of fine spirits. Located in Lebanon, Ky., Limestone Branch is a destination on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Craft Tour, offering tours and tastings. It is home to the Gold Medal-winning T.J. Pottinger Moon*Shine and Minor’s Revenge, as well as newest creation MoonPie MoonShine. Facebook.com/LimestoneBranch (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Limestone-Branch-Distillery/289093147793389)

ABOUT LEBANON (http://www.visitlebanonky.com/), KY | Geographically located in the center of the state, Lebanon (http://www.visitlebanonky.com) is the “Heart of the Bourbon Belt,” the epicenter of barrel and bourbon making. Attractions include Maker’s Mark Distillery, Limestone Branch Distillery, the Kentucky Cooperage and WhiteMoon Winery. Incorporated as a city in 1815, Lebanon played a crucial role during the Civil War and is today on the Civil War Discovery Trail. It is also part of Kentucky’s historic Holy Land, with sites including the Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse. Outdoor recreation options include the newly expanded Gorley Naturalist Trail at Fagan Branch Reservoir, Marion County Quilt Trail and several farm tours; indoors there is the Marion County Heritage Center, a stop of the new Turtle Trek and featuring the Turtleman exhibit, and Stillhouse Art Museum. Shop for antiques, collectibles and handmade crafts in Lebanon and dine at your choice of 40 restaurants.Accommodations include the gracious circa 1833 Myrtledene Bed and Breakfast, plus hotels including the Hampton Inn, cabins and an RV Park. Facebook.com/VisitLebanon (http://www.facebook.com/VisitLebanon)