. . .Plenty of hard alcohol carries a high-proof kick, of course. Moonshine has an added mystique that can bewitch its fans—and stir a writer like “Chasing the White Dog” author Max Watman to set out in search of modern backwoods distillers. Moonshine has long been treasured in the South, even in the driest Bible Belt counties, as a remedy for life’s miseries. It is regarded not only as an intoxicant but also as a medicinal, with a place of honor in kitchen cupboards for every ailment, from rheumatism on down. But the bulk of moonshine’s appeal, even to folks far from the Blue Ridge Mountains, derives from two bedrock American traditions: love of whiskey and hatred of taxes.