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Golf was a big part of Jessup’s younger years, although football, basketball and baseball were, too, each time their respective seasons rolled around. He grew up in the house where his parents, Robert Wayne and Frances Jessup, still reside. “And I never deviated, other than to consider golf as a possible profession when I grew up,” said the longtime resident of the Pilot Mountain area. “My mom would say that is when I decided to be a law enforcement officer,” Jessup said of the interest he showed at the time which was inspired by the tragedy.
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That’s when Pilot Mountain police officers Glenn Branscome and Ralph East were gunned down on a roadside just a couple of miles from the youngster’s home. Yet the seeds for Chet Jessup’s career had been sown many years before - in February 1969 to be exact - when he was just 8 years old. His work with the state agency began with a 1984 assignment that involved opening a field office in Wilkes County - long known as the moonshining capital of North Carolina. These also are frequent venues for undercover narcotics investigations, Jessup explained. “I’ve spent a lot of time in honky-tonks,” he joked regarding the attention ALE agents must devote to ensuring compliance with alcohol laws at bars and similar establishments. It’s all been part of Jessup’s work as an agent with the state Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Division, which ended with his retirement on July 1. “I’ve experienced a lot of things very few people do, and a few things I never anticipated I would do.” “My law enforcement career has been very exciting,” Jessup, 50, summed-up during an interview Thursday. A few examples are Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine, Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon, and Stillhouse Clear Corn Whiskey.Chet Jessup saw a lot during his 27-plus years in law enforcement - illustrating that there’s rarely a dull moment when alcohol or drugs are involved.Īnd he’s lived to tell about it, including stories of raids on the illegal distilleries of Wilkes County moonshiners, and of being dragged along a Winston-Salem street by a suspected drug dealer. However, there are several companies that make moonshine and pay their taxes. Plus, the potential for a higher-than-available-in-store proof. This is due to moonshine’s history and the fact that moonshine is, by definition, an illegally made liquor. Some would argue that any alcohol made legally isn’t real moonshine. Methanol is another toxic substance that can be in the drink if it’s not distilled correctly. These could contaminate the alcohol, making it toxic. These handmade stills use car radiators in the distilling process and could have lead soldering. While most still are now copper, there are old, handmade stills still out there. Moonshine can be dangerous for those who consume it because of the toxins that can be in it. It is possible for stills to blow up, which can be very dangerous. This is why moonshiners have to have their stills outside, even though that makes them easier to see. Since the alcohol can be over 100 proof, these vapors are highly flammable and can cause explosions. The distilling process itself produces alcohol vapors. This beverage can be very dangerous for both the distillers and the consumers since there is no regulation on the bootlegged product. Believe it or not, this actually led to the formation of NASCAR. After prohibition ended, these drivers would continue ‘racing’ to keep up their skills. However, these cars could drive very fast, carry large loads, and had really good shock absorbers. To avoid the law, these drivers had very souped-up cars that looked normal to the naked eye. Historically, runners or bootleggers would smuggle the moonshine across the region once the liquor was distilled. This made it easier to evade the police and law enforcement. They were mainly in the Appalachia area because there were many remote areas in that part of the country. This to help them avoid police trying to catch them. Moonshiners would do their distillations at night. Now, the law focuses on the evasion of alcohol tax. In 1933, the prohibition law was repealed. This was when there was a law that banned all alcohol production. During the prohibition era, illegal distilling became more popular. Historically, moonshine refers to clear, unaged whiskey made from corn mash and sugar. While that may be the case, there are also legally operated moonshine distilleries popping up around the country. This process has strong ties to the Appalachia area that runs between North Carolina and Tennessee. Moonshine is a term that has been associated for years with a high-proof distilled spirit that was produced illegally.