white mule
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "White Mule" is an old nickname for potent, clear moonshine - unaged corn whiskey strong enough to "kick" hard. It’s a vivid, colorful label from the heyday of mountain stills.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've heard 'white mule' plenty, but it's not anythang I need to be involved with. Pronunciation
[WHYT MYOOL]
Meaning & Usage
- Potent clear corn whiskey or moonshine (noun/dialect)
Mae:
What’s in that jar?
What’s in that jar?
Earl:
That’s White Mule - kick like nothin’ else.
That’s White Mule - kick like nothin’ else.- Any high-proof unaged whiskey (noun/dialect)
Mae:
Be careful - that’s White Mule.
Be careful - that’s White Mule.other spellings: white lightning
★ "White Mule" carries the same imagery as "White Lightning" - the "white" for clear liquor, the "mule" for its kick. It’s a term from the backroads and hollers, signifying serious mountain whiskey. ★
Origin
From early 20th-century Appalachian moonshine slang. "White" described the clear, unaged liquor; "mule" evoked its strength and kick. Documented in Prohibition-era raids, folk songs, and local histories across Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Notes
Still remembered among older Southerners and in moonshine lore. Rarely used by younger people, but legal distilleries sometimes revive the name for nostalgic branding.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "white mule." Often used with pride or warning: "That’s White Mule you’re drinkin’."