The romanticism of history is what keeps books like “The Great Gatsby” popular with today’s youth, but that same glamorization also is taking shape in the spirits category within the latest emerging segment: moonshine.

“The role of moonshine in the spirits category operates on a couple of levels,” says Joe Michalek, founder and president of Piedmont Distillers Inc., Madison, N.C. “First, moonshine is liquid Americana. The spirit is intrinsically tied to American history. There’s no other liquor on shelves that has had a bigger impact on our country’s heritage than moonshine. And second, it offers spirits consumers something truly unique.”