{"id":9654,"date":"2023-06-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feathersandwhiskey.com\/?p=9654"},"modified":"2023-06-13T10:12:40","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T14:12:40","slug":"the-revival-of-jimmy-red","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feathersandwhiskey.com\/?p=9654","title":{"rendered":"The Revival of Jimmy Red"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
By Robbie Perdue <\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

For almost 100 years James Island, located just south of Charleston, South Carolina, was the source of a high quality white corn liquor, also known as moonshine. The source of the product was a strain of corn brought to the area around 1910 by Richard Humphries from Screven, Georgia. He claimed the corn was used by Native Americans in the Appalachian Mountains but never specified which tribe. <\/span><\/p>\n

On average, this is a 110 day corn and has a pair of 12 inch ears on 10 feet tall plants. It has a rich, oily germ and a high brix content. Brix is the measure of sugar content and sugar is what converts to alcohol. This made the red corn the key to James Island\u2019s whiskey production.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bootleggers of James Island never revealed their prized corn and in 2000 the last bootlegger passed away. The corn almost died out as well. However, two ears of corn were rescued from the property and given to a local farmer to grow as hog feed.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

As luck would have it, that local farmer was Ted Chewning, a devout saver of seeds who has rescued varieties of corn, beans, radishes, watermelons and field peas from extinction. In time he was able to produce enough Jimmy Red corn to share it with a few interested people. This is when Jimmy Red really came back to life.<\/span><\/p>

Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills began growing Jimmy Red Corn and even grows in multiple distinct regions to ensure its survival in the face of possible disasters. Greg Johnsman of Geechie Boy Mill began growing and processing corn grits and meal. Chef Sean Brock championed the grits, cornbread and flapjacks at his Charleston restaurants, McCradys and Husk and even has an ear of Jimmy Red Corn tattooed on his arm. Dr. David Shields of the University of South Carolina was able to get Jimmy Red Corn added to the Slow Food Ark of Taste which is a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction. Scott Blackwell, co-founder of Charleston\u2019s High Wire Distilling, began distilling Jimmy Red Corn into some amazing products. Jimmy Red was a hit.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t