Brewing Deep Dive: From Rotgut to Premium Bourbon

The heart of Bootlegging is the brewing system. It's where resource gathering meets crafting decisions, where patience is rewarded, and where mistakes increase your wanted level.

Still Progression

You start with nothing but a Bathtub Still—a crude, unreliable setup that produces poor-quality spirits quickly. As you progress, you unlock:

• Copper Pot Still: More efficient, better quality control
• Column Still: Industrial-scale production, multiple recipes at once
• Industrial Rig: Maximum output and quality, but creates a high detection signature

Each still tier requires more investment, more resources, and more risk. The bigger your still, the more federal agents will be interested in you.

The Spirit Menu

Bootlegging isn't just moonshine. You can craft:

• Moonshine - Fast, dangerous, low quality (Rotgut tier)
• Corn Whiskey - Traditional Rural Mountain spirit
• Rye Whiskey - Complex flavor, longer fermentation
• Gin - Botanical ingredients, requires botanical farms
• Aged Bourbon - The premium tier, weeks of aging in barrels

Each spirit has quality levels from Rotgut to Premium, determined by:

• Still tier used
• Temperature control during fermentation
• Fermentation time
• Ingredient freshness

Temperature Management

Brewing is as much about control as it is about waiting. You manage your still's temperature to trigger fermentation at the right pace. Too hot, too cold, or inconsistent temperatures ruin batches.

Weather affects your ability to control temperature. Summer heat makes cooling harder. Winter cold requires more fuel. Rain can damage outdoor stills.

Advanced players study fermentation curves and optimize their stills for specific spirits. A master distiller's aged bourbon commands triple the price of rotgut—and that difference matters when bribing officials.

The Economics

Quality spirits sell for more, but take longer to produce. Fast moonshine keeps heat low but profits slim. Premium bourbon takes months but sells for enough to expand significantly.

This is the tension at the heart of Bootlegging: speed vs. quality, risk vs. reward, growth vs. survival.

Master the still. Build your empire.