Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

In 1797 George Washington's farm manager, a Scot named James Anderson, convinced his employer that producing whiskey made from corn and rye grown on the plantation would be a natural complement to his milling business. Washington was initially skeptical, but soon granted permission to build the structure.

Washington erected the 2,250 square foot distillery -- making it among the largest whiskey distilleries in early America. In 1799, Washington produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey, worth the then-substantial sum of $7,500. Upon Washington's death in 1799, the complex was passed down to a relative who apparently was not equipped to run it, and he rented it to a local operator. The distillery ceased operating in 1814 when the building burned. Not until 2000 did Mount Vernon begin the excavation and restoration of the distillery with a grant from the distilled spirits industry.

Additional Links:

• About The Distillery

• A Brief History of George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon

• FAQs

• The Excavation

• Recreation

• George Washington Quotes About Spirits

• Letter from George Washington to his Nephew Regarding the Distillery

• Distilled Spirits in Early America

• Visit George Washington's Distillery at Mount Vernon

 Additional Links:

• George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens

• BOOK: Founding Spirits: George Washington and the Beginnings of the American Whiskey Industry, by Dennis J. Pogue