Become A Moonshiner

Unlock The Moonshiner Role

Unlike the other roles, the moonshiner role must be unlocked. You have three options:

• Reach rank 5 as a trader
• Complete a long distance sell mission
• Pay 5 gold (Pause Menu » Progress » Roles » Moonshiner » Unlock). This purchase bypasses the Trader role unlock requirement and grants access to the Moonshiner role contact. An additional purchase with Gold Bars will still be required to get your Moonshine Operation up and running.

You will receive a letter from Mr. Cripps, offering you to start the moonshiner business as a partner of Maggie Fike. A meeting is set up in the old abandoned saloon in Emerald Ranch. The moonshiner icon will mark the location on the map.

Buying A Moonshine Shack

Upon entering the saloon, a cutscene will begin. You can purchase a moonshine shack for 25 Gold and choose between five locations:

• Bayou Nwa. Pro: Deliveries less than 5 minutes, close to Lagras fast travel. Con: Players in the area, chances of griefers.
• Grizzlies. Pro: Little chance to see other players around, great hunting spot around Cattail Pond, close to Mrs. Davenport. Con: No nearby fast travel post.
• Hennigan's Stead. Pro: Little chance to see other players around. Con: No nearby fast travel, rocks on the road.
• Heartlands. Pro: Close to the Emerald Station fast travel post. Con: Bootlegger Missions can take you to the Loft, and even across the Grizzlies to Window Rock.
• Tall Trees. Pro: Easy deliveries, close bootlegger missions, close to Manzanita Post fast travel. Con: A random skinner ambush spawns at night, few bridges and rivers to cross.

You can change the location of your shack for $250. Open the Player Menu » Camp & Properties » Moonshine Shack » Choose Shack Location.

If you decline the deal with Mrs. Fike, you can always buy a moonshine shack at a later moment. To do so, open the Player Menu » Camp & Properties » Moonshine Shack » Choose Shack Location. After buying a shack you see a message that the Moonshine Operation has been established.

Preparing Moonshine Business

Visit your Moonshine Shack to make, market and sell moonshine. Talk to Maggie Fike to upgrade your shack and equipment.

The moonshine distillery is run by Marcel, a French expert cook and old acquaintance of Mrs. Fike and Mr. Cripps. You have to rescue Marcel from a rival moonshiners' camp, where he is held prisoner. Lead him to the Moonshine Operation.

You have to get supplies and equipment to set up the still and get startet with production. Go to the rival moonshiners, take the equipment and deliver it to the Moonshine Operation.

You are now prepared and ready for moonshine busines.

Bonuses And Tokens

You earn Role XP and Game XP as you complete Moonshiner activities. Role XP counts towards your progression through the 20 Role ranks. You will reach a new tier of distinction every 5 ranks: Novice, Promising, Established and Distinguished.

Unlocking a Role Rank (2,000 XP) earns Role Tokens (two Tokens per level) and at certain ranks you'll unlock new skills. Each tier has a kit of items that are unique to the Moonshiner Role and can be unlocked to purchase using Role Tokens.

Role Progression

Progression will unlock items and skills.

Moonshine Store

Items	Cost	Note
Flammable Moonshine	20.00	Highly potent alcohol that can be poured and set alight.
Toxic Moonshine x1	5.00	Creates a cloud of toxic fumes on impact, choking and disorienting enemies.
Toxic Moonshine Pamphlet	500.00	Recipe on how to craft Toxic Moonshine.

Shack Expansions	Cost	Note
Bar Expansion	950.00	Remodel the basement to include a bar.
Band Expansion	850.00	Expand a section of the bar to add a band.

Note: The bar does not earn you money or XP!

Bar Décor	Cost	Note
Basic Décor	-	Furnish the bar with simple decorations.
Floral Décor	15 Gold	Furnish the bar with floral arrangements.
Hunter Décor	15 Gold	Furnish the bar with hunting trophies.
Refined Décor	10 Gold	Furnish the bar with sophisticated Ornaments.

Bar Photos	Cost	Note
Naturalist Photograph	-	A photograph of a wildlife photographer.
Dawn Elk Photograph	-	A photograph of an elk at dawn.
Chapel Photograph	260.00	A photograph of a miniature chapel.
Rio Bravo Photograph	165.00	A photograph of Rio Bravo.
Estate Photograph	175.00	A photograph of the Braithwaite Estate.
Dockyard Photograph	200.00	A photograph of Saint Denis Dockyard.
O'Creagh's Run Photograph	150.00	A photograph of O'Creagh's Run.

Equipment Upgradess	Cost	Note
Condenser Upgrade	825.00	Allows the operation to produce average strength Moonshine. Attracts more patrons.
Polished Copper Upgrade	875.00	Allows the operation to produce strong Moonshine. Attracts more patrons.

Moonshine Recipes

Rank	Recipe	Sale	Ingredients
3	Agarita Sunrise Moonshine (1)	247.50	1x Canned Strawberries, 1x Evergreen Huckleberry, 1x Agarita
2	Apple Berry Crumb Moonshine (1)	226.87	1x Apple, 1x Blackberry, 1x Vanilla Flower
2	Berry Cobbler Moonshine (2)	226.87	1x Canned Peaches, 1x Raspberry, 1x Peach
1	Berry Mint Moonshine	206.25	1x Canned Strawberries, 1x Blackberry, 1x Wild Mint
1	Evergreen Moonshine	226.87	1x Evergreen Huckleberry, 1x Wintergreen Berry, 1x Ginseng
3	Poison Poppy's Moonshine (3)	247.50	1x Prairie Poppy + 1x Oleander Sage + 1x Absinthe
3	Spiced Island Moonshine (2)	247.50	1x Canned Apricots, 1x Currant, 1x Caribbean Rum
1	Tropical Punch Moonshine	206.25	1x Canned Pineapples, 1x Pear, 1x Vanilla Flower
1	Wild Cider Moonshine	206.25	1x Apple, 1x Ginseng, 1x Currant
3	Wild Creek Moonshin (2)	247.50	1x Wild Mint, 1x Vanilla Flower, 1x Creek Plum

⁽¹⁾ Unlocks after completing the 5th and 3rd "A Life of 'Shine" story missions.
⁽²⁾ Unlocks after reaching level 2, 12, and 6 of the Moonshiner role.
⁽³⁾ Unlocks after riding a random spawning camp of hostile moonshiners and find the pamphlet in a chest.

Recipes Ingredients

Ingredient	Shop	Stable	Collect
Absinthe			x
Agarita			x
Apple	x	x
Blackberry			x
Canned Apricots	x
Canned Peaches	x
Canned Pineapples	x
Canned Strawberry	x
Caribbean Rum			x
Creek Plum			x
Currant			x
Evergreen Huckleberry			x
Ginseng			x
Oleander Sage			x
Peach	x	x
Pear	x	x
Prairie Poppy			x
Raspberry			x
Vanilla Flower			x
Wild Mint			x
Wintergreen Berry			x

Cooking Moonshine

Moonshine Still

Mash is required to start the production proces. The moonshine strength selected will determin completion time.

Moonshine	Standard	Rank 15
Weak	30 min	24 min
Average	45 min	36 min
Strong	60 min	48 min

Moonshine Production

Select the recipe of your choice. Moonshine will only be produced in free roam. Events, Showdowns and Missions pause your production, with the exception of Legendary Animal missions. Moonshine will also not produced while you are in someone else's Posse.

Drinking Moonshine from your bar will slow your production. Drinking Moonshine from the barrels to the right on the bar doesn't slow your production.

Flavor your Mash towards the end so you can be sure your seller won't soon reset. You can select "Change Recipe" if you won't make a buyer on time. Average quality sells for 75% more than Weak, and Strong sells 150% more than Weak.

Selling Moonshine

Your payouts are determined by the flavor and strength of your moonshine, as well as how many bottles you successfully deliver to the destination.

Buyers rotate every 1 hr and 36 mins (two in-game days). If your buyer is gone you can sell to Bert Higgins for a low price or wait for the buyers to rotate again. Bert Higgins pays based on Mash quality, not the recipe. Finishing the Moonshine Story Mission "A Bitter Means to a Bitter End" will add another possible buyer to your list.

Bootlegger Missions

Bootlegger Missions given by Mrs. Fike lower the price of mash by $20. If you complete a stealth mission without being stealthy, the price only goes down $10. The game will tell you if you’re at your lowest supply cost. The price will go up every time you sell. Completing all Moonshine Story Missions will permanently lower your cost of mash to $50.

The cooldown between Bootlegger Missions is 15 minutes.

Revenue Agent Roadblocks

After clearing the roadblock and looting the agents you can find a locker on a wagon. The locker contains a gold pocket watch, a moonshine, a cocaine gum and regular revolver cartridges.

Rival Moonshine Operations

Go undetected to the rival moonshiner location, poison the stills and take out the rival moonshiners. Loot the moonshiners for items. As you are detected revenue agents will come to investigate the area.

Rival Moonshine Stash

Go undetected to the rival moonshiner location, destroy the moonshine barrels and stills and take out the rival moonshiners. Loot boxes and rival moonshiners. If you alert rival moonshiners use a Volatile Fire Bottle to immediately destroy their still. A normal Fire Bottle won't blow the still.

Rival Crop Field

Go undetected to the crop fields, set the crops on fire and take out the rival moonshiners. You can find sometimes fire bottles on a nearby wagon.

Drunk Patron

Bring a severely intoxicated patron from a saloon back to their homestead.

Notes

• Berry cobbler is a mid level moonshine that 9 out of 10 times has a buyer.
• A timer at the bottom shows when new buyers are available. If you don’t have the buyers you want, wait for the timer to reset.
• Toxic Moonshine can damage players through walls even if the poison mist isn't visible.
• Using water barrels, drinking coffee and eating almonds sober your character.
• Revenue Agents won't catch up to you using Cinematic Mode as you deliver moonshine, .
• Aim your weapon behind your wagon as you go through Revenue Agent checkpoints. If they attack you, you are already aiming at them.
• Delivering moonshine makes you a target for Dynamite Arrows and Explosive Ammo. Defensive Mode will prevent you from locking on in self-defense. You can change the Mode via Player Menu > Online Options > Playing Style > Offensive.

Awards