Moonshining mama dizzy from her success

When Troy Ball and her family moved from Texas to North Carolina, she had no idea she'd be getting into the moonshine business.

CBS reports Ball's two oldest sons have a rare, undiagnosed metabolic disorders. Doctors said the long pollen season in Texas would leave them constantly fighting allergies that could turn into pneumonia. So they moved to the clean, crisp air of the Appalachian mountains.

'When you buy land in the mountains and you get to know the locals, if they like you they bring you moonshine.'

Fortunately for Ball, the locals really, really liked her, welcoming her into their homes and showing her how they make their infamous "Mountain Dew." Here's YouTube:

'They took me under their wings. And let me experience making whiskey up in the mountains at their stills.'

She now owns and operates Troy & Sons, one of only four U.S. distilleries owned by women. The moonshining mama recently appeared on the "Today" show to tell her story.

NBC says: 'Troy believed if she could overcome the myriad obstacles to keeping her sons healthy, she could probably do almost anything.' FLASH 'This is my way of honoring them and making a statement about our life.'

So is this whole thing legal? Well... yes and no. Many state laws differ from what the feds say.

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau says, 'You cannot produce spirits for beverage purposes without paying taxes and without prior approval. ... There are numerous requirements that must be met that also make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage use.'

However, Time says some states are loosening their laws, including Tennessee where it's legal to make your own moonshine.

And the topic has caught so many people's attention - there's even a TV show about it - appropriately named "Moonshiners."

So, drink up! Or, maybe not ... that would be, ya know, possibly illegal.