PICK OF THE DAY: Moonshiners S1 E1 – Saturday 28 September at 3pm | Discovery HD

It may be illegal but, in America, moonshining (producing your own distilled beverage) is a big-money industry, dating back hundreds of years. Moonshiners tells the story of those who keep this tradition alive – often in the woods near their homes, using camouflaged equipment – and the local authorities who try to keep them honest.

Witness practices rarely, if ever, seen on TV, including the sacred rite of passage for a moonshiner – firing up the still for the first time. Water, sugar, corn and yeast are the key ingredients. It is also no accident that moonshine season is from June to October, at the height of the corn harvest and the peak period for the foliage to hide the illegal operations.

This is a centuries-old war and, for the best in the industry, these three months can mean a considerable fortune, tax-free.

The victors become the stuff of legends, but one mistake and the losers face a prison sentence.

Watch Moonshiners on Saturday 28 September at 3pm WAT on Discovery HD.