Yeah, it's pretty much a dying way of life. Time was when it was easier to be self-sufficient and any money made was for things you couldn't provide yourself or barter for. Now, barter is gone and society makes it almost impossible to be truly self-sufficient.

As for the corn whiskey, we always had it pretty much straight, nothing added except a bit of rye for flavor and color after it was finished. My uncle Allan spent a lot of time either keeping a step ahead of the law with his still or waiting for his 21 days to be over so he could get out of the pokey.

As for quality, I'm not sure I'd trust any moonshine that I didn't personally know the man making it. It used to be a respected trade. Everyone in a community knew who made it and if it wasn't good, they knew who to go deal with. It was serious business, bad moonshine can kill you. Now, there is enough cheap and legal whiskey available, it makes one wonder what shortcuts are being taken to keep 'shine profitable.(?) A few still make a run for kicks and keep everything in order, but don't fool yourself. Anyone making it for sale is making it cheaper than a bottle of the worst stuff on the bottom shelf at a state store. And likely not using copper worms, but old radiators.

Edit to add: moonshiners on both sides of my family. Maternal in Kentucky, Paternal in southern Pennsylvania.