Dawsonville Dew

In the early part of this century the government decided to tax a vast cottage industry: whiskey. Prohibition created a drought and "sprang water" was a very sought after commodity. At the same time people in the southern United States, as people everywhere, were going through hard times; sometimes finding themselves with barely enough to eat. In North Georgia the land in the mountains was often too rocky or too steep to grow enough extra corn to sell and even when there was a good year then it was all but impossible to get to market before the crop would spoil. Every mountaineer family had learned to be self-sufficient in a total independent fashion and never relied on or paid much attention to their government. Out of family needs and public demand, corn preserved as "spring water" made a lot of sense. When the mountaineer realized his few bushels of corn could be turned into liquid gold in big towns like Atlanta the only obstacle remaining was how to get from point A to point Atlanta. A car, but not just any ordinary car, would do. There were federal men on the roads between the Mountains and Atlanta...men with guns!! It would be impossible to carry enough men and guns in a car loaded down with "spring water" to shoot their way in and out of Atlanta. It would have to be "hide and seek." It would take a special driver for the car; a special breed. Thus the "tripper" was born. The early "trippers" really did win races at Daytona just for fun. Stories of these battles between the "moonshiners" and the law will be at the new Thunder Road USA museum...now under construction. You'll also find the "spring water" you've always heard about, Dawsonville Dew, at Thunder Road USA in where else but Dawsonville, Georgia. A portion of sales proceeds from Dawsonville Dew is being donated to the museum to assist in the construction and maintenance.

Below are some stills from the Dewin it In Dawsonville video.

For information on ordering the video go to