Lizella resident competing on “Moonshiners” spin-off show, plans to open Macon distillery

A Macon native with plans to bring a distillery to Middle Georgia is set to appear on the next episode of the new Discovery TV show “Master Distiller.”

Miranda Long, a Lizella resident, will compete against a pair of contestants on the March 17 episode. Each episode the winner will receive a limited release of their winning recipe through Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The show is a spinoff of the popular TV show “Moonshiners.” The episode with Long will air on March 17, at 10 p.m. following the conclusion of “Moonshiners” on Discovery.

“You are judged by the Moonshiners, Mark and Digger and Tim,” Long said in an interview with The Telegraph. “You had a lot of opportunities to interact with them and get feedback from them.”

The contestants have a wide range of experience, from amateurs to professionals. For Long, it gave her an opportunity to showcase what she has learned over the last few years since deciding she wanted to open a distillery in Macon, something that the city hasn’t seen since before prohibition.

The ability to compete against some of the best and learn from the cast of the “Moonshiners” offered Long a sense of validation in her skills and the product that she wants to put together in the long run.

“They have got a huge following behind the “Moonshiners” show and people that have been on it,” Long said. “I am hoping some of that will spill down here.”

The show originally began in 2011 with this new spin-off premiering at the beginning of March. Long has been a fan of the “Moonshiners” since the beginning, but was skeptical when she was first approached about being on the new show.

“I got the initial email and I kinda tossed it to the side because I thought it was spam,” Long said. “After a little while, I got a second email so I said ‘let me check this out and see if this is really a legit thing.’ I did a little research and it was.”

Once she realized it was real, she began talking with her family to decide whether she should go on the show. Long didn’t want to take the leap without support from her husband, kids, other family and friends. But ultimately decided that it would be a good opportunity to help launch their new distillery.

The show was filmed mostly in Gatlinburg over the course of a week though some footage was taken in Lizella for the show. Long said that the days were long and the competition was tough but it wasn’t the most challenging part of the experience for her.

“I think the biggest challenge was being away from my family. I have a husband and two kids,” Long said. “I have never been away from kids for that length of time. Honestly, I think that was the most challenging part.”

One of Long’s biggest takeaways from the show and experience was the ability to learn even more about the trade, which she hopes will make the Macon distillery a success.

They already have a location about six miles from downtown Macon picked out, with hopes of opening a tasting room once they get the distillery off the ground.

Long is currently in the process of getting her federal distillery license. Once she acquires the license, Duh Distilling will age whiskey and bourbon in around 500 barrels. The company will likely employ around 10 people in the initial small distillery and tasting room with hopes of future growth.

“There is only about 13 distilleries in the state as opposed to breweries. I think it is a little extra added something,” Long said. “I hope that it shines an extra light on Macon and the resident in Macon gets them excited we are bringing another business to town.

While Long wasn’t able to discuss the results of the competition, she is excited for her local community to be able to see her on the show. Her hope is that this is the start of building her legacy for Duh Distilling and hopefully make an impact in bringing people to the Middle Georgia area.

“I went in expecting nothing and wanting to have a good time. It was kind of a bucket list item,” Long said. “I think this is such a great opportunity to grow a brand and legacy for generations to come.”