The general admission tickets to Mt. Vernon include a visit to a fully functioning reconstruction of George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill, located about 3 miles from the Mt. Vernon estate. Dave and I had a short ride from the George Washington estate, parked our car, and walked towards the Distillery and Gristmill entrance where we were greeted by this nice gentleman.
We had to wait about 30 minutes near George Washington’s Gristmill for the tour to start. There weren’t many people yet. By the way, George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill are open only from April 1st through November 1st.
George Washington’s Distillery is the only authentic 18th-century distillery in the country. A view of the exterior of Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon.
During the tour costumed millers and distillers demonstrated the historic processes of cornmeal production and whiskey-making. George Washington’s water-powered gristmill features an automated system with four floors of intricate gears and shafts. The flour mill was built in 1771 to mill flour and cornmeal from wheat and corn grown at Mount Vernon. His flour became so popular that it was exported to the West Indies and the UK.
We started our tour from the Gristmill Third Floor, which includes two important systems: the Rolling Screen which separates debris and chaff from the wheat seed before grinding, and the Bolting Chest that sifts and grades milled flour.
On the second floor of the Gristmill the cleaned grains are ground by the two large grinding wheels and stored in barrels.
Gristmill First Floor. The bottom floor of the Gristmill is where the large shaft at the center of the waterwheel connects to the large gears that help to power the entire mill.
The Waterwhell in Action.
On the 4th floor of the gristmill we found large bins where the raw wheat, in its unclean form, is deposited and prepared for its journey through the milling process.
source: visitalexandriava.com
In 1799, the year of Washington’s death, the distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons, making it the largest whiskey distillery in America at the time.
A well-informed tour guide explained the history of and restoration of the Mount Vernon Distillery. The whiskey distillery was added in 1797. The new distillery contained 5 copper pot stills, a boiler, and all required equipment for large-scale whiskey production.
A tour of the distillery describes the 18th century method for making rye whiskey.
The copper stills are within Washington’s Distillery.
Ten Facts About the Distillery (from mountvernon.org):
1. George Washington was the only founding father to commercially operate a distillery.
2. James Anderson, Washington’s Scottish farm manager, convinced Washington to begin his distilling operation.
3. Washington’s distillery was the largest distillery in the nation at its time.
4. Whiskey was the most common beverage produced by the distillery.
5. Washington’s whiskey was not bottled, branded, or aged.
6. Six enslaved distillers worked within Washington’s distillery.
7. Slop from the distillery made Washington’s hogs fat.
8. Washington’s distillery was a very profitable endeavor.
9. Washington paid tax on his distillery.
10. Washington’s distillery was recreated in 2007 and it can be visited today.
The archaeological excavation uncovered the stone foundation of the Distillery, the location for the five stills and boiler, numerous underground drains, and evidence for the wall that separated the store room and office. The archaeologists also found many objects used by the distillers such as fragments of stills, broken plates and tea cups, drinking glasses, and buttons.
On our way out we stopped at the gift shop on the grounds. We bought the George Washington’s Gristmill stone-ground products: white grits, cornmeal and Yards beer.
Later on we made some pancakes from the white cornmeal. The pancakes came out pretty good, but a little heavy.
Here is the Stretched Canvas Print of the George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill in 1799.
Today, George Washington’s Mount Vernon produces limited batches of both aged and unaged whiskey, placed in branded bottles, produced in the traditional 18th century way in George Washington’s reconstructed distillery. Mount Vernon sells small batches of George Washington’s whiskey, made at the distillery, each year. (Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association).
source: mountvernon.org