Janelle's Cup-O-Joe Moonshine

Janelle and I just before we got married.

Janelle and I were set up on a blind date 10 years ago, and fortunately we were able to talk on the phone a few times before we actually met because the blind date idea felt weird. She was 21 at that time, and I almost said no because I wasn’t interested in doing the whole bar scene all over again. But after our first phone call I was very interested to see where it would go. We went on our first date a week after our first phone conversation, and the rest would be history as they would say. A friend once asked me, “How did I know Janelle was the one”? For me it was simple, there just came a time when I realized that I wouldn’t know what to do without her. We got married in 2011 and we didn’t have much to our names. She was going to school and I was engineering, but with only one income it made things a little tough. We both kept our heads up and Janelle ended up getting a great promotion at work and in 2012 we started out trucking company. In 2013 we welcomed our first child, and 2 more would quickly follow. Having kids close together was tough, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything. Family is very important to us and that’s why we chose a business that could leave our mark on our family tree for generations to come. Janelle and I have had a lot of up’s and a lot of down’s, but I know there is no one else I would rather be with on the road of life. Cheers too many more years making memories Janelle! For more great articles about our Moonshine, Flavored Moonshine and product stories, visit our website.

Kely's Apple Pie Moonshine

Growing up I didn’t get to see much of my Dad’s side of the family, usually just at Christmas time. Grandma Ella would make homemade bread and give out cases of Vodka to the adults, Kirk (Kely’s brother) was just about the funniest guy I had ever met, and Kely was very quiet, very polite, and always showed genuine interest in people no matter how long it had been since you last saw each other.  Kely would graduate high school and go on to LBCC, then to O of U where he excelled at Chemistry and was even awarded grants to further his innovative projects. But then his life would take a tragic turn that he could never come back from. Kely was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 24. He spent time in hospitals and homes and every day became a struggle for him. Time would pass as we got older, and we would only see him every 5 years or so. He did everything he could do to combat the symptoms, from trial programs to trial drugs; he even tried to take his own life. I couldn’t even imagine the feeling that taking your life was your only option. Last December, just before Christmas, Kely committed suicide. I didn’t know him extremely well, and I know he is in a much better place now, but the sadness for his life will always be there. Kely’s Apple Pie is a tribute to Kely Marcotte, and his struggles with such a terrible disease. Cheers Kely, you will always be remembered for the kind and compassionate person you were. For more great articles about our Moonshine, Flavored Moonshine and product stories, visit our website.

Ella's Silver Moon Moonshine

GRANDMA ELLA. WE MISS YOU.

This product is named after the best Grandma in the whole world, she was truly one of the greatest women I have ever known. Janelle being first of course, right. My Grandpa left my grandma for a better life I guess, when I was very young. In fact I don't remember anything about him, but I prefer it that way. It's a very sore subject for me. So from the time I can remember, my grandma was taking on the world by herself. She was a great cook, the kindest and most generous person I knew, she was strong and tough, religious but not overboard, always there when I needed her, and she had a laugh that would make you want to tease her all day long. When I was in high school she had came to live with my dad and I as my dad was enrolled at Portland State to finish his masters in Psychology. So in a sense my Grandma helped raise me, even if only for a short time. The house I grew up in had two living rooms, so I had one and my grandma watched her "Braves Baseball" in the other. I had some friends over one day and thought I would do something to mess with her, so I stripped down to my underwear and I ran into her living room and started dancing right in front of her TV, almost like the scene from Risky Business. For about 10 seconds she wasn't real sure what was going on, then she started laughing so hard she was crying. She used to carry around a little hanky in her breast pocket, and my goal was always to make her laugh hard enough to pull that out to wipe her eyes. I definitely achieved my goal that day. Haha. We lost her 6 years ago now to Alzheimer's. The last few years of her life were very tough, mostly for us. The last time I saw her she didn't remember who I was, so I never truly got to say goodbye to her. She had a very big impact on the person I've become and the person I want to be. Thank you for everything Grandma and not a day goes by that I don't miss you. For more great articles about our Moonshine, Flavored Moonshine and product stories, visit our website.