During his second term, President George Washington worked closely with the newly formed United States Marshals Service to quell an uprising known as “The Whiskey Rebellion.” This short-lived revolt was instigated by a volatile resistance that refused to pay federal taxes on whiskey. An accomplished distiller himself, Washington had a deep, personal interest in the manufacture and sales of the alcohol. In 1798, the year before his death, Washington’s distillery at Mount Vernon produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey and netted a profit of $7,500. That was an enormous sum of money over 200 years ago. By 1799, Mount Vernon’s whiskey distillery was the most productive and profitable aspect of Washington’s plantation. At one point, the demand for this special blend outweighed the distillery’s ability to produce it.

Fortunately, much like his contemporaries Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, Washington kept meticulous notes on the day-to-day operations at Mount Vernon. This included his recipe and process for creating rye whiskey. Today, experts have reopened the distillery at MV to produce a limited batch of Washington’s favorite brew. According to the folks at Mount Vernon, “In November, master distiller Dave Pickerell, formerly of Maker’s Mark, used the same grain recipe (60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% malted barley), mixed and fermented in 120-gallon oak barrels, and double distilled in copper pot stills, just as it was done 200 years ago.  One hundred- fifty gallons of whiskey were made at the Distillery site in November, of which 75 gallons will be aged for future sale. According to Pickerell, the unaged whiskey nose is, “slightly floral, earthy, and grainy,” with a taste that is “surprisingly sweet and mellow,” but with a bit of a bite, characteristic of unaged rye.”

To see all the details on how Mount Vernon’s modern distillers have reincarnated George Washington’s recipe, visit their blog at Making George Washington’s Whiskey. To purchase a bottle of this limited-edition concoction, visit The Shops at Mount Vernon starting December 1st. Cheers!