Moonshiners are people who illegally produce and distribute alcoholic beverages, usually in rural areas. The term 'moonshiner' is derived from the fact that these activities were often done at night to avoid detection. Two terms related to moonshiners are 'BEAMS' and 'bootleggers'. BEAMS are the wooden structures used to support the stills used to distill the alcohol, while bootleggers are those who transport and sell the illegal liquor.