In the latest episode of Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners, viewers witnessed the ingenuity and rivalry that define the clandestine world of backwoods distilling.
This episode showed Mark Ramsey and his partner, Huck, devising a daring plan to smuggle liquor via a handcrafted raft. At the same time, Mike Cockrell and Jerry Benson plot retribution after their equipment was sabotaged.
Operating in the remote terrain of Graham County, North Carolina, Mark and Huck face the perennial challenge of transporting their illicit product without attracting law enforcement attention.
Inspired by historical smuggling methods, they constructed a raft capable of concealing and conveying 100 gallons of moonshine downriver.
Their innovative design involves hollowing out logs to hide the liquor, with Huck wrapping the jars in cellophane to prevent them from sticking to the foam used for insulation.
Encountering spatial limitations, they adapted by building a secondary floor on the raft to accommodate additional five-gallon buckets. They also incorporated a paddle wheel mechanism to ensure the heavily laden vessel remained buoyant and maneuverable.
Mike Cockrell and Jerry Benson start from scratch as they plot revenge
Meanwhile, in a neighboring county, Mike and Jerry are reeling from a recent setback: Mark and Huck destroyed their distilling equipment.
Determined to continue their operations and exact revenge, they construct a new, innovative still.
Opting for copper, a material prized for its ability to produce superior-quality liquor, they designed a submarine-style pot still, incorporating a steam-powered system, which they believed to be a pioneering approach in their trade.
Securing a clandestine location for their new setup, they aimed to stay ahead of their rivals and law enforcement.
Their quest for retribution intensifies as they strategize to uncover Mark and Huck’s distilling site, intending to sabotage their operations in retaliation.
Mark Ramsey gets his make-shift raft on the river
In the next episode, Mark and Huck get their raft in the river and race against the clock to deliver over 100 gallons of liquor.
Viewers will have to tune in to see if the pair is successful, as Mark is forced to make a hard turn as they approach a rock on the river.
In this week’s episode, Mike bragged about knowing where Mark and Huck get their sugar and grain, seemingly confident he can track down their liquor site to destroy it.
It is yet to be seen if they take the opportunity to exact their revenge plot while Mark and Huck are occupied with their smuggling operation.
Moonshiners airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Discovery.