Get out the banjo, here’s one you don’t hear every day. Actor Bill Pullman’s 19-year-old son Jack was arrested for possessing moonshine and assaulting a government official. I was under the impression that moonshine was best left to the Great Depression and old James Taylor songs, but apparently it holds a great deal of appeal to the teenage spawn of semi-famous actors.
Bill Pullman’s 19-year-old son has been busted for allegedly possessing moonshine and assaulting a government official.
According to Ashville, N.C., news station WLOS, Jack Pullman and his friend, Allan Gaddy, also 19, were arrested Monday and face numerous charges including resisting officers, assaulting a government official, underage drinking and possession of moonshine. The two were released from jail the following night.
Pullman – who starred in Independence Day, Sleepless in Seattle and many other films – has issued no comment.
[From People]
The Pullman family must be so proud. Times must be tough if young Jack is resorting to the shine. I’m pretty sure even an average, broke teenager can normally get someone to buy them a six pack. But apparently young Jack thought it best to go the homemade route. Moonshine is technically any alcohol brewed illegally, though it’s generally pretty foul. According to Wikipedia, it can have a host of unsavory flavors.
…it sometimes contains impurities, off flavors, and toxins such as methanol. The off flavors come from improper brewing, while methanol may result from inexpert distillation or be added by unscrupulous producers to increase the apparent proof. In popular culture, moonshine is usually presented as being extremely strong and in North America is commonly associated with the Southern United States and Appalachia.
[From Wikipedia]
That’s just to dissuade anyone in case you thought brewing your own alcoholic beverages would be a good way to pinch a few pennies in these lean times. It isn’t going to taste like that cognac you’ve been craving.
Here’s Bill Pullman filming a documentary on location in Ipanema on Tuesday. Images thanks to WENN.
What they didn’t tell you is that Jethro and Granny Clampett fled the scene before the cops arrived, leaving only a trail of possum stew and a corn cob pipe behind.
So is homebrewing illegal in NC?
Damn those whippersnappers stealin our brew!
I live in Georgia and know people who have drank moonshine. It’s strong-nasty stuff and will get you WASTED beyond belief on just a tiny amount. Like one shot.
Dang, this kid sounds like a redneck!
Best mugshot ever. Britney, I think we’ve found your new baby daddy.
I’m going to make a wild guess that meth is somehow involved in the larger story here.
At my first job, I used to take an annual trip down to a printing plant in Tennessee. They actually gave us little jars of moonshine in our welcome baskets. Personally, I would’ve preferred mini-muffins or mixed nuts. But anyway, the moonshine was pretty clean. I think it was just Everclear that they poured into Mason jars to mess with us Yankees.
ak, that was my first thought too – “Is ‘moonshine’ code for ‘meth-head’?”
Alright, confession time. I’ve tried moonshine before, and I’ve also tried homemade wine.
Why are you looking at me like that? I’M SOUTHERN. I am a victim of the War of Northern Aggression! (not really)
Honestly, sipping a half-decent moonshine is like sipping a very sweet, very potent cheap Scotch.
😯 Seriously, is homebrewing illegal in the States?? Making your own wine and beer is illegal??
sexy mug.
Geronimo, I’ve never really looked into it, but I think moonshine might have once been illegal because it interfered with the revenue service’s ability to collect, um, revenue, on alcohol sales.
It’s not illegal to make your own beer or wine, e.g., in your house for your own use.
G, I think it goes state by state. Most states, it’s okay to brew your own wine and stuff, but you can’t sell it without all sorts of paperwork, etc.
But moonshine is illegal. Pretty much everywhere.
geronimo: I’m pretty sure homebrewing beer is legal, especially since the equipment you need is readily available. (My Dad tried it once it turned out AWFUL.) Also, everybody and their mother has attempted to make their own wine at some point, so that has to be lawful. And while I’d assume moonshine would fall into the legal category, I guess it doesn’t. Especially when you assault a cop in the process. 😀
Edit: I guess everyone answered the question while I was typing away, so many apologies for the repetition.
You people must not be from the south…everyone drinks moonshine around here! You all make it sound like it’s crack or something.
Oh ok. Thanks, everyone, knew it couldn’t be the case. Your moonshine is our poitin*, in that case. (*distilled from malted barley grain or potatoes, among the strongest alcoholic beverages in the world, classified as ‘illegal’ or ‘moonshine’ in Ireland.) Deadly but nice. But seriously deadly….
I’ve tried cask-strength Irish whiskey, and that almost knocked me off my feet. I probably wouldn’t survive poitin.
I am sorry, but could anyone tell me what moonshine is and why the comments of the Great Depression?
I don’t understand… Thank-you
Moonshine is illegally brewed liquor. The beginning of the Depression coincided with Prohibition, so illegal liquor was very popular.
My boss is from Tenn and she gave me a big jar of moonshine. I kept it in the freezed for a few months because it was way to strong to drink (for me at least). I took it with me on Mardi Gras day and was pouring it into the drinks of everyone around us. Boy did we catch a lot of stuff that year because everyone one else was so wasted!
Prohibition was inacted in the 1920’s. Then in the 1930’s when America was in the throws of the Great Depression Prohibition was lifted. But due to scarce jobs it was way cheaper to get wasted on the home made brew. Big Daddy Government didn’t like it cuase they couldn’t tax it. The Appalation mountains are famouse becuase it was very rural and the stills could be easily hidden. But the G-men would go a looking for them. So the Depression and moonshine kinda go hand in hand cuase it was an easy way to make money when jobs were hard to come by and the government was cracking down on them cuase they wanted their tax money.
Edit: I almost forgot. I don’t know if moonshine is illegal still or not but it is illegal for a 19 year old to posses alcohol.
ak – poitín has a bit of a kick allright 😈 The easiest way to drink it is as “punch”, which is basically a toddy with hot water and some white sugar.
geronimo – my dad used to do the ould home brew in the 80s (there was a recession on you know!). I think it worked better when it was kept in a constant warm area, so there often a blue fish barrell stuck in the corner of our sitting room! 😆
I think moonshine and poitín are illegal to brew traditionally because of the tax thing, but also to legalise brewing of 75% plus proof rocket-fuel could be seen as socially irresponsible.
Once upon a time I was treated to some moonshine by a guy who worked with my ex. He claimed that for $50 he could make you 25L of the stuff. I can’t imagine what anyone would ever do with 25L of moonshine since an inch in a glass was enough to completely destroy me.
I need this mugshot on a t-shirt…no, really… 😆
What is this 1920? Is prohibition back ? Seriously though the best ‘shine is in Louisiana, everyone knows that. They still make it there too.
Beer Baron!!!!!!!
Sorry…*leaves*
Thanks a lot Ak and Alecto!
I learned something new today 😛
He looks awfully messed up. I don’t know if they still make moonshine the same way, but the other toxin that can be involved is lead leaching from the equipment in the still – so I would caution against imbibing the stuff unless somebody can comment that the distilling techniques have gotten safer!
the assaulting part really doesn’t count after you are drunk, one really doesn’t greet people nicely after a bit of alcohole..
ugh, the “Ashville” in the article is about to drive me crazy. it’s Asheville, and it probably only bothers me because i’m an asheville native. also, my father used to make his own wine and still always has a jar of moonshine in his freezer so possession of moonshine is not really all that shocking in western nc.
i go to school with jack, just saying, he is a lot more attractive than this picture. this picture is very unfortunate. but i bet he would like it. and all this about the moonshine….yes, people still make it in the south! sure theyre a little “backwards” by most people’s standards but i say go mountain folk!! who cares if a 19 year old drinks alcohol, we’re in college, thats what we do!