I have a feeling that they may mean real moonshine, not the stuff listed as moonshine in stores. Although it may not be considered "in public" I know a guy here that just left flyers at a local bar for his moonshine and would come by a few times a week and everyone knew which nights they'd be around. He'd reuse gallon jugs that used to have water, or those cheap punches you'd buy in stores. Most people would by a pint or quart though. He'd flavor some, but getting a gallon of it plain just basically tastes like slightly off grain alcohol.

At the end of the day, whatever was getting sucked out of the plastic bottle into the alcohol was likely just as bad for us as the alcohol itself.

I stopped going to bars, and cut back drinking by a long shot, but I'm sure if he's not around still someone likely took his place.