Moonshiners is one of the most questioned American reality TV series on Discovery Channel. The show which has been airing since 2011 explores the lives of people who traditionally distill alcoholic beverages for a living. Some Moonshiner cast includes Jeremy Schwartz, John Owens, Mark Ramsey, Tickle, and Tim Smith.
While moonshining is considered illegal, certain claims suggest that the show might be staged. Notwithstanding, many distillers have legalized the business in their own rights and are making tons of wealth from it.
Similar to many TV series, the cast of the show keeps changing from time to time, which is why questions about their whereabouts, lives, careers and the like of it keep recurring.
Here are The Moonshiner’s Cast Members
1. Jeremy Schwartz
- Date of Birth: December 4, 1971
- Age: 53
- Role: Narrator
Jeremy Schwart is the narrator of the show and stands as the most important cast of the Moonshiners discovery show. He takes viewers along with all the happenings of the show thanks to his voice-acting skills.
Asides from Moonshiner’s show, he is also the narrator of the Master Distiller discovery channel. Jeremy has voiced anime characters like Lord Slug in the Dragonball Z dub version. He is the founding member of the fire department theatre company in New York City and is married to Jenni Tooley who has been his wife since 2000.
2. Josh Owens
- Date of Birth: August 28, 1977
- Age: 47
- Role: Moonshiner
Josh Owens joined the Moonshiners cast during the second season in 2012 after acquiring knowledge from his friend Barney Barnwell. Though the series has been on hold for quite a long time, they affirmed that the show would continue. If this happens then be sure to see Josh Owens.
Prior to the show, he worked as a motocross racer and stock car driver. However, with his newfound interest, we dont think he’ll be leaving the show anytime soon. In fact, the major source of his wealth comes from liquor making which has been estimated to be around $400 000.
3. Mark Ramsey
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 1965
- Age: Late 50s
- Role: Moonshiner
Mark has been into moonshining since his teenage age and it came as no surprise when he joined the show in 2013 to display his unique recipe alongside his best friend and partner Digger Manes.
Asides from the show, the pair have worked together in their Distillery Company known as Sugarlands. They have also experimented with other recipes and flavors which seem to be keeping them on top.
Mark and his partner were absent at the beginning of the 11th season howbeit, they returned before viewers started asking questions and have continued to display their talents on the show.
4. Eric Digger Manes
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 1964
- Age: 61
- Role: Moonshiner
As stated above he works alongside his friend Mark Ramsey in the Moonshiner’s show and is also a judge. However, it wasn’t until the 4th season that he made his appearance. Digger learned the craft of moonshining from Popcorn Sutton; a legendary moonshiner and Bootlegger who also introduced him to the discovery Channel. In the show, he features as one of the moonshine producers in the Appalachian Mountains within the areas of Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Though he previously worked as an embalmer with his father who owned a funeral home, the 45 years old seems to be glued to his craft of moonshining.
5. Tim Smith
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 1967
- Age: 58
- Role: Moonshiner
Tim Smith is one of the first cast of the Moonshiners and has been part of the show since the first season in 2011. While he has displayed his expertise in moonshining, sources claim that he comes from a long line of moonshiners.
Tim is also one of the three judges on moonshiners having won several titles over the years.
Asides from the show, Tim owns a brewing company known as Tim Smith Spirits and a national brand called Climax Moonshine which is available in states like Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
6. Steven Tickle
- Date of Birth: November 30, 1976
- Age: 48
- Role: Tickle
Tickle was part of the Moonshiners cast from the first season until the end of the seventh season in 2017. While in the show, he produced his illegal moonshine
After his departure from the show, his whereabouts became a question to the public. Many sources have suggested that he went back to his carpentry profession in Washington DC. Nonetheless, we garnered that he got into problems with the law which were not Moonshining related. He was arrested for public intoxication, and possession of a sawn-off shotgun and subsequently spent some time behind bars.
Following his release, he applied for his legal permit to distill and sell moonshine which he was granted. At present, Steven keeps up with other casts of moonshine via social media and also shares updates about his moonshining business. In 2019, he got married to Carol Anne.
7. Mark Rogers
- Date of Birth: Sometime in 1977
- Age: 48
- Role: Moonshiner
Just before we dive into what Mark Rogers is currently doing, it’s worth noting that he has been brewing unique alcoholic concoctions since the age of 8 thanks to his 12 uncles who introduced him to the craft.
Mark is one of the long cast who joined the show in the second season. Not only has he gained several titles during the show, but he also became a judge of the new moonshiners.
Outside the show, Mike is outdoorsy and enjoys activities like fishing, hunting, and carpentry. In 2014 he partnered with the Sugarlands Distillery and produced his branded moonshine called Mark Rogers American Peach Moonshine.
8. Mike Cockrell
- Date of Birth: April 3, 1979
- Age 46
- Role: Moonshiner
Mike is one of the Moonshiner’s cast members. He joined the show in 2016 and works closely with co-star Jerry Benson. Away from the show, he partners with the Tennesse Shine Company which operates within Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Wears Valley.
Like most Moonshiners on the show, Mike is a family man. He is married to Jenna Hurst and together they have five children; a son and 4 daughters. You can catch a glimpse of his family on his Instagram page.
Read Also: Geoffrey Edelsten’s Wives: Meet All The Women He Married And His Kids
9. Jeff Waldroup
- Date of Birth: September 6, 1964
- Age: 60
- Role: Moonshiner
It was at the beginning of the second season that Jeff joined the Moonshiners cast alongside his son Lance Wardrop and Mark Roger.
He was recognized as the best distiller in North Carolina and many called him the seventh-generation moonshiner. However, he became less active towards the end of the seventh season in 2017 when new distillers began to earn more recognition. Howbeit, he continued but soon vanished in 2021 and many fans concluded that they had probably run out of finances.
Sadly, the death of Jeff’s son Lance Waldrop stormed the net on Febuary 25 2021, and since then, his father hasn’t returned to the show. While fans have since expressed their condolences, they also raised money through a GoFundMe account to support the family.
10. Bill Canny
- Date of Birth: Sometime in the 1980s
- Age: Early 40s
- Role: Moonshiner
Just like Josh Owens, Bill Canny also learned moonshining from the moonshine master Barney Barnwell. He joined the other cast in the second season and became Josh’s partner. They were recognized as one of the best on the show and even started their moonshine empire. Unfortunately, the two began to strive and ended their friendship.
Bill Canny was absent from the show in 2019 and many speculate that his issues with Josh may have prompted him to leave. Hence, the chances of his return are quite slim.
At the moment, he juggles different crafts from moonshining to carpentry and organizing moon festivals. Many quarters report that he’s having a great life and often volunteers to raise money for the Carolina Miracle League; they are responsible for helping and sponsoring children with mental or physical disabilities.
11. Jim Tom Hedrick
- Date of Birth: December 25, 1940
- Age: 84
- Role: Moonshiner
80 years old Jim Tom is one of the oldest on the show. He joined Moonshiners for five seasons to display the long-learned talents that have traveled with him across many years. On the show, he is recognized as one of the skilled moonshiners.
He left the show in 2014 to explore his singing talents but he didn’t record much success. At the moment, It’s hard to tell what Jim is up to even though there are claims that may have started teaching moonshine to the new generation of distiller
12. Mattew Louis Tungate
- Date of Birth: January 6th, 1985
- Age: 40
- Role: Chico
Chico was added to the show in the third season alongside Sandra his then-fiancée now wife. The pair displayed great brewing techniques in making moonshine and soon captured the hearts of the viewers. He joined the show in 2013 and continued until 2018 when he left.
While fans continue to question why they left, we presume that the couple wanted to pay attention to their family and two children.
Meet Other Cast Members of Moonshiners
Lance Wardrop
Jerry Benson
Chuck Miller
Henry Law
Kenny Law
Daniel Maner
Patti Bryan
Terry Stewart
David Parker
J.B Rader
Tyler Wood
