Firefighters Turned Moonshiners Face Off with Baked Beans, Canned Ham, and More in Wild Distilling Showdown

Birmingham, Alabama – October 4, 2025 – In a fiery clash of creativity and grit, the latest episode of Master Distiller on Discovery Channel turned up the heat as retired firefighters and distillers battled it out in a moonshine-making competition that pushed the boundaries of flavor and ingenuity. From baked beans to canned ham, contestants were dealt bizarre ingredients, transforming the art of distilling into a high-stakes test of skill, nerve, and sheer audacity. Leading the charge was Mike Berdett, a 54-year-old former fire chief from Barfield, Alabama, whose peach brandy legacy shone bright, while others like Gabe Cardinus and Richard Landry grappled with unlikely components to craft marketable moonshine in a contest that celebrated tradition, innovation, and the unyielding spirit of America’s moonshiners.

The episode, part of Master Distiller’s electrifying sixth season, aired last night, showcasing a trio of firefighter-distillers tasked with creating unique liquors under tight time constraints and with curveball ingredients. Mike Berdett, a 33-year veteran of the fire service, brought a personal story as rich as his moonshine. “I pulled a lady out of a burning house one night, delivered two babies – that’s what firefighting’s about,” Berdett shared, his Alabama drawl thick with pride. His distilling roots trace back to his grandfather, who ran illegal stills during Prohibition to feed his family. “He had a 100-gallon still, nothing fancy, but it kept three kids fed when jobs were scarce,” Berdett explained. Now operating a legal distillery in Birmingham with a 600-gallon still, he’s carrying on that legacy, aiming for simplicity and bold flavors in his signature peach brandy.

The competition kicked off with a 30-minute challenge to enhance their base spirits. Berdett stuck to his roots, blending a straightforward peach brandy at 90-95 proof, a crowd-pleaser honed through years of feedback from his fire station buddies. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said, focusing on amplifying the peach’s natural sweetness without overcomplicating the recipe. His opponent, John, took a riskier path, transforming blueberry brandy into a blueberry cobbler-inspired moonshine, infusing it with cinnamon, vanilla beans, and pie filling. “It’s like a dessert in a jar,” John boasted, though judges later noted his creation, while flavorful, dipped below 50 proof, likely due to overcooking the alcohol during infusion. “It’s a $100 jar with all that blueberry, but it’s weak on kick,” one judge remarked, highlighting the fine line between innovation and marketability.

Berdett’s peach brandy stole the show in the first round, earning praise for its robust flavor and spot-on proof. “It’s peach on the nose, peach on the palate, peach in the finish – like drinking a Georgia orchard,” a judge enthused, declaring it shelf-ready. John’s blueberry cobbler, while creative, couldn’t compete with Berdett’s consistency, and Gabe Cardinus, a 24-year-old from Blunt County, Tennessee, struggled with a peach moonshine that leaned too heavily on corn notes, lacking depth. “You’re a hell of a distiller, but one peach has to go home,” the judges told Gabe, sending him packing despite his heartfelt story of entering firefighting after losing his childhood home to a blaze.

The competition escalated with a Christmas-themed challenge that left contestants reeling. In a twist dubbed “Secret Santa,” producers handed out ingredients that seemed more suited to a pantry than a still. Berdett drew walnuts, apple spice, and orange extract – a manageable trio he used to craft a nutty, spiced moonshine. “I tossed the walnuts in the thumper, let the flavors meld,” he said, producing a smooth, high-proof jar that judges called “surprisingly drinkable.” Richard Landry, a 51-year-old from New Iberia, Louisiana, and a Master Distiller veteran, landed peppermint candies, instant coffee, and a curveball: canned ham. “Meat in moonshine? That’s a first,” Landry laughed, opting to shake the ham’s salty essence into his peppermint-coffee infusion for balance. “It’s high-proof cat food,” a judge quipped, but admitted the bold move worked better than expected.

The episode’s wildcard, however, was Howard, who drew the short straw with a can of baked beans, cranberry sauce, and juniper berries. “Baked beans? I thought it was a setup,” Howard groaned, straining the bean sauce into his thumper and adding juniper to mask the funky notes. His initial run was grim – “smells like it’d make you fart,” a judge chuckled – but a last-minute filtration through gifted charcoal transformed it into a surprisingly clean, sweet spirit. “From beans to bling,” Howard declared, earning gasps for turning “the worst ingredient” into a top contender. “Ain’t no bean taste in that,” a judge marveled, crediting the charcoal for scrubbing the flavor clean.

As the final round loomed, Landry’s peppermint-coffee-ham concoction and Berdett’s spiced walnut shine faced off against Howard’s improbable bean-based triumph. Landry’s jar, while inventive, carried a faint meaty aftertaste that couldn’t compete. “It’s stout, but I ain’t drinking bacon grease,” a judge said, shaking his head. Berdett’s offering was polished but predictable, while Howard’s turnaround from “bean shine” to a sweet, high-proof gem stole the spotlight. “You took a can of beans and made a Christmas miracle,” the judges declared, crowning Howard the winner. “I started with working man’s beans and ended with top-shelf liquor,” Howard beamed, clutching his trophy – a festive nod to his uncle “Fuzzy” in a Santa hat.

The episode, filmed in a rustic Tennessee distillery, leaned heavily into the contestants’ firefighting roots, weaving tales of heroism with the raw craft of moonshining. Cardinus, eliminated early, reflected on his journey: “My house burned down at 13, and firefighters saved us. That’s why I do this – to give back.” Landry, a perennial favorite, vowed to return: “Canned ham won’t stop me.” Berdett, though outshined in the final, took pride in his peach brandy’s consistency. “My granddad fed a family with this craft. I’m just keeping the fire lit,” he said.

Master Distiller’s sixth season, airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, continues to captivate with its blend of heart, humor, and high-proof hijinks. The show’s premise – pitting seasoned distillers against wild challenges – taps into America’s fascination with moonshine’s outlaw history while showcasing modern, legal craftsmanship. With moonshine sales projected to hit $1.2 billion by 2027, the industry is no longer just backwoods folklore but a thriving market where innovation reigns. This episode, with its baked beans and canned ham, proved that in the world of distilling, even the strangest ingredients can spark brilliance.

Fans flooded social media post-episode, with #MasterDistiller trending on X. “Howard’s bean shine is the hero we didn’t know we needed,” one viewer posted, while another cheered, “Mike’s peach brandy could make a preacher dance!” The judges, a panel of grizzled moonshine veterans, emphasized marketability as the deciding factor, balancing flavor, proof, and shelf appeal. Howard’s win, they noted, was a testament to resilience – a quality shared by firefighters and shiners alike. As the season rolls on, viewers can expect more twists, from absinthe infusions to barrel-aged experiments, all proving that in the hills and hollers of America, moonshine remains a craft of grit, guts, and unexpected glory.