Yes. People have been illegally making alcohol to avoid paying taxes and governmental authorization for a LONG time (not just in America). Moonshine is just a catch-all term for any illegally distilled alcohol and was popularized in America. I guess the prohibition just caused the practice to become more widely known and romanticized.

https://drizly.com/article/education/liquor/what-is-moonshine/e-ab5e1266