Going on the Moonshiner business in Red Dead Online is an exciting venture that lets you delve into the world of illicit alcohol production, offering a unique blend of strategy, risk, and reward. Here’s a detailed guide to help you establish and thrive in your Moonshining empire.
What is Moonshining? In the Red Dead universe, Moonshining refers to the clandestine art of producing and selling alcohol. It’s a lucrative but risky business, often involving dodging the law and dealing with rivals.
To kick off your Moonshining journey, you need to either complete a Sell Mission or reach Rank 5 in the Trader Progression. This unlocks an introduction to Maggie Fike at Emerald Ranch, a key figure in your Moonshining venture. Maggie will present you with five different locations to set up your Moonshine Shack. Choose wisely, as each location has its unique advantages and challenges.
Your next task is to rescue Marcel, a skilled cook, and acquire some essential Moonshining equipment. Marcel will then introduce you to the distillation tools and equipment in the Engine Room of your shack.
Note: You moonshine recipes to start selling moonshine in Red Dead Online.
How To Run A Successful Moonshine Business In Red Dead Online
- The Art of Deception: The main floor of your Moonshine Shack serves as a cover for the actual Moonshining operation happening in the basement. Here, you can also set up an underground bar, which can be customized to your liking.
- Working with Maggie: Collaborate with Maggie to enhance your Moonshine quality and expand your business.
You can expand your bar to include an underground section, which will cost $950 and one token, or 38 gold bars. Improving the bar’s condition and ambiance can attract more patrons. Work with Marcel to improve the bar’s food recipes, which can increase customer traction. Upgrading your Moonshine recipes is crucial for business growth.
Choose your Moonshine type and flavor, prepare your batch, and deliver it to clients. Be cautious during transportation to avoid breaking bottles and encountering check-posts.
- Check-Posts: During deliveries, you might run into check-posts. You can either let them inspect your carriage or try to bypass them without inspection.
- Profit Margins: A typical batch of Moonshine can cost around $30 to produce and can be sold for a $50 profit. However, remember that you’ll need Condenser and Polished Copper upgrades from Maggie for efficient production.
Starting a Moonshiner business in Red Dead Online is not just about making and selling alcohol; it’s about strategy, managing resources, and outsmarting rivals and the law. With these steps, you’re well on your way to becoming a top Moonshiner in the Wild West.
Best Location For Moonshine Business
It’s advisable to set up your moonshine shack in an easily accessible location to minimize the hassle of traveling. The Heartlands is recommended for its accessibility, while Tall Trees is also a viable option. Avoid locations like Bayou Nwa, Grizzlies, and Hennigan’s Stead due to their distance or challenging terrains which can damage your moonshine during delivery.
Production Optimization
Once you’ve chosen a profitable moonshine flavor, stick with it. Changing flavors can result in losing both the ingredients of the initial flavor and potential profits if the new flavor isn’t as valuable. Madam Lazar sells herbs needed for moonshining at a dollar each. Collect as many free herbs as possible while exploring the map, but you can buy from her to save time and effort.
As you rank up in the moonshiner role, aim to brew stronger moonshine, which although takes longer, pays significantly more. Utilize the Master Distiller skill to brew stronger batches quicker.
Investing in the Polished Copper Upgrade after reaching Moonshiner Rank 10 enhances your ability to make higher quality moonshine​.
Moonshine Business Strategies
The moonshiner business is more profitable when played solo since helpers only receive 20% of the sales proceeds, and players get only half of the experience when playing with friends.
Before diving into moonshining, get acquainted with the Trader role as it’s a prerequisite to becoming a Moonshiner. The mechanics of both roles are similar, involving collecting ingredients, producing goods, and selling them to buyers​.
Equip a good long-range weapon, preferably a scoped rifle, to protect your deliveries. Complete all missions to maximize the value of your moonshine deliveries and avoid damages from bumps and ridges during deliveries​.
A 25 Gold bars investment is required to unlock a Moonshine Shack.