Red Dead Online is the wild west version of GTA Online. Players are immersed in a beautiful activity-filled world set in 1898 where industrial innovation is about to reach its peak.
With the absence of cars, outlaws ride the mountains and river valleys in awe of a much simpler time.
Rockstar added roles to Red Dead Online – The Trader, The Collector, The Bounty Hunter, and recently, The Moonshiner.
The roles are a good source of cash and gold for players who want to earn quick money. The Moonshiner is fascinating; being the only role with a set of story missions.
The Moonshiner role is slow-paced and rewards patient outlaws who stop and smell the flowers.
Developing the right strategy, picking the right upgrades, waiting for the right customer, and maximizing profit are the characteristics of a successful Moonshiner. Here are 10 tips every Moonshiner should know.
Updated on August 10, 2021 by Payton Lott: The Moonshiner role is still a profitable profession in RDO once players have mastered it. Over the past year, gamers have had plenty of time to discover the ins and outs of distilling moonshine in game.
This updated article includes five additional tips that will help those new to the role. Successful moonshiners are able to maximize profit and efficiency as they accrue more skills as a distiller. Use the following additional tips to get rich processing spirits in RDO.
Remember to drive carefully and mind the bumps in the road to secure as much cash as possible.
Contents
15/15 Don't Change Flavors
Gamers can assign a flavor to their moonshine while it is being distilled. People will, of course, want to choose the most profitable flavor if the ingredients are available. However, there are no mixed flavors of moonshine. Selecting a different flavor will replace the initial flavor that was chosen. If the new flavor is worthless, players will miss out on a decent amount of cash when they sell the batch. Additionally, the ingredients for the initial flavor will be lost. Once a flavor is selected, it is best to stick with it.
14/15 Go To Madam Lazar For Herbs
Madam Lazar is a one-stop-shop for all of the Moonshiner herbs. All of the herbs for sale are only one dollar each. Considering how much moonshine sells for, that is not a bad deal. Gamers will want to pick up as many free herbs as they can while traversing the map, but Madam Lazar is always there just in case. It will often be worth the price to avoid having to fast travel, ride to the location of the herb, and search for it.
13/15 Stronger Is Better
In life and in RDO, stronger is better. The stronger the brew, the more money players will net with each sale. As people rank up in the role, they will have the opportunity to brew stronger batches quicker with the Master Distiller skill. Stronger moonshine takes longer to distill, but pays a lot more. On the other hand, weak moonshine is quicker and grants more XP. After reaching rank 15, there is no reason to brew the weaker stuff.
12/15 Best Shack Locations
Moonshine Shack
Red Dead Redemption 2Red Dead Online
New AustinWest ElizabethNew HanoverAmbarinoLemoyne
Hennigan's SteadTall TreesThe HeartlandsGrizzlies WestBayou Nwa
Maggie FikeMarcelLemuel FikeRed Dead Online protagonist
Moonshine Shacks are locations featured in Red Dead Redemption 2. In Red Dead Online, purchasing a Moonshine Shack is required to start the Moonshiner role.
Description
Moonshine Shacks are two-story cabins containing an office and bedroom for Maggie Fike, a staircase leading into the basement which has a secret passage to Marcel's moonshine kitchen and the bar, if purchased.
Locations
History
Events of Red Dead Online
After the role's introduction in the Emerald Saloon, there are five shacks available for purchase, one in each territory. After buying a shack, it acts as a property and as the central location of the moonshine business. All seven story missions of the DLC start and end inside of the shack.
The office upstairs is run by Maggie Fike, who also gives the player story and bootlegger missions. To buy expandables for the shack, the player also has to consult Fike. Upon saving him, the distillery downstairs is run by Marcel, a French expert cook and old acquaintance of Fike. The player can order Marcel to cook a batch of moonshine to sell it to a customer.
The player can also invite other players into their shack.
Events of Red Dead Redemption 2
The shacks are also present in Story Mode, though they serve no purpose to the player.
Improvements
Items
| Name | Price |
| Flammable Moonshine | $20 |
| Toxic Moonshine x1 | $5 |
| Toxic Moonshine Pamphlet | $5001 token |
Expansions
| Name | Price | Note |
| Bar Expansion | $9501 token | |
| Band Expansion | $01 token | Requires role rank 5 and Bar Expansion |
Décor
| Name | Price |
| Basic Décor | Default |
| Floral Décor | 15 gold bars |
| Hunter Décor | 15 gold bars |
| Refined Décor | 10 gold bars |
Business Upgrades
| Name | Price | Note |
| Condenser Upgrade | $825 | Unlocks Average Moonshine quality |
| Polished Copper Upgrade | $8753 tokens | Requires role rank 10 and Condenser Upgrade Unlocks Average Moonshine quality |
Photos
| Name | Price |
| O'Creagh's Run Photograph | $150 |
| Dockyard Photograph | $200 |
| Estate Photograph | $175 |
| Rio Bravo Photograph | $165 |
| Chapel Photograph | $260 |
| Buck Photograph | Outlaw Pass 2 |
| Fox Photograph | Outlaw Pass 2 |
| Bear Photograph | Outlaw Pass 2 |
| Elk Photograph | Outlaw Pass 2 |
Moonshine production
Producing a charge of moonshine takes three steps. At first, the player has to buy mash. The default mash price is $50. However, the cost can be lowered by completing bootlegger and moonshiner story missions. Every completed mission will lower the price by $20, until the minimum cost of $10 is reached.
At the same time, the player can choose between weak, average and strong moonshine, depending on the purchased improvements. By default, weak moonshine will take 30 minutes, average moonshine 45 minutes and strong moonshine 60 minutes.
Each production duration is lowered by 20 percent on a later rank of the moonshiner role.
Next, the player needs to flavor the moonshine. They can choose between a maximum of 10 different flavors. Flavors are classified in three different quality levels, of which the highest will reward the player with the best possible price, if delivered undamaged. Alternatively, Bert Higgins will also accept non-flavored moonshine.
In the last step, the player has to choose a buyer. There is not always a customer available for every flavor, so timing matters. While delivering, the player must pay attention to the charge not being damaged as well as to roadblocks of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Upon delivery, the player will receive their money. There may be a lower payout if the batch has been greatly damaged.
Moonshine Recipes
| Agarita Sunrise Moonshine | 1x Canned Strawberries, 1x Evergreen Huckleberry, 1x Agarita |
| Apple Berry Crumb Moonshine | 1x Apple, 1x Blackberry, 1x Vanilla Flower |
| *Berry Cobbler Moonshine | 1x Canned Peaches, 1x Raspberry, 1x Peach |
| Berry Mint Moonshine | 1x Canned Strawberries, 1x Blackberry, 1x Wild Mint |
| Evergreen Moonshine | 1x Evergreen Huckleberry, 1x Wintergreen Berry, 1x Ginseng |
| **Poison Poppy's Moonshine | 1x Prairie Poppy + 1x Oleander Sage + 1x Absinthe |
| *Spiced Island Moonshine | 1x Canned Apricots, 1x Currant, Caribbean Rum |
| Tropical Punch Moonshine | 1x Canned Pineapples, 1x Pear, 1x Vanilla Flower |
| Wild Cider Moonshine | 1x Apple, 1x Ginseng, 1x Currant |
| *Wild Creek Moonshine | 1x Wild Mint, 1x Vanilla Flower, 1x Creek Plum |
*: Only unlocked upon reaching rank 1, rank 10 and rank 5. (In that order)
**: Has to be found during a random encounter.
Customers
The Mercies of Knowledge – Red Dead Redemption 2 Wiki Guide – IGN
This page takes you through the Stranger Mission or Sidequest The Mercies of Knowledge in Red Dead Redemption 2.
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This stranger mission takes you to the north of Saint Denis. You'll find an inventor out the back of a house who wants you to help him get some moonshine.
Talking to him it turns out it's not just some moonshine, it's a lot of moonshine. He promises ample pay so you agree.
To get this mission you should already have access to receive tips from the stagecoach man at Rhodes and Arthur will talk about heading that way to find out some information on where he can get a lot of moonshine.
Head out to Rhodes and ask the attendant about moonshine and he'll give you a neat tip. Read it to add the marker to your map.
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This tip will take you back to quite north of Saint Denis. You'll find a bridge and it's a good idea to wait here for the incoming stage coach. It may take a few minutes but be patient and eventually it will come.
The coach will have a driver, an armed passenger, and two armed horsemen riding alongside. Take them out to steal the coach and bring it back to the professor.
Now you find out the machine the professor has been working on is an electric chair and he needs a permit to test it publically. This sends you off to the sheriff's office here in Saint Denis – simply go in and talk to him and he'll offer you a permit in exchange for $100. Get one and bring it back.
Now that a permit is acquired a test subject is also needed. Thankfully the professor, Andrew Bell has one in mind and sends you out to capture a no good criminal Wilson McDaniels which adds yet another waypoint to your map.
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This time you need to head to a camp north of Emerald Ranch. You'll find a sort of bandit camp on a small ledge and disturbing them will attract gunfire. During the fight Wilson McDaniels will attempt to escape so you'll need to chase after him and leave any alive assailants to their business.
