sugarhead
Moonshine made mostly from sugar mash instead of all corn.
Also called sugar head, sugar whiskey, sugar jack.
Updated September 24, 2026
sugarhead pronunciation
/SHOO-ger-hed/
Meaning
In Appalachian still talk, sugarhead is whiskey cooked from a mash heavy on sugar, not pure corn. Cheaper and easier to turn out than all-grain corn liquor, so a lot of makers ran it. Old-timers who prized pure corn sometimes looked down on it. Don't mix it up with calling somebody sugar — this one's about the jug, not a pet name.
How folks use it
- “Daddy made plenty of sugarhead, but he wouldn't sell it as pure corn.”
- “That jar's sugarhead — sweet mash, not straight corn likker.”
Origin and etymology
Came out of rural Southern and Appalachian moonshining when sugar got cheaper than running all-corn mash. Mountain Laurel oral history from North Carolina makers draws a hard line between pure corn and sugarhead. Related names include sugar whiskey and sugar jack. DARE ties sugar-based moonshine talk to Southern Appalachia.
Frequently asked questions
Is sugarhead a nickname for a sweet person?
Not usually. Around moonshiners it means whiskey from sugar mash. Plain sugar or suga is the affection word.