mount vernon whiskey

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Thanks for the warm welcome and I will be sure to keep y'all posted about the progress at Mount Vernon.

Historic Mount Vernon is a private, nonprofit historic house museum and we do not accept tax-supported money, either state or federal. The site of the distillery, a seven-acre tract, was also site of a large merchant mill, cooperage, miller's cottage, animal pens, malt house, and slave quarters during Washington's time. The buildings all fell down by 1850 and in 1932 the Commonwealth of Virginia purchased the property and reconstructed the gristmill and miller's cottage, creating one of the first state parks. Five years ago Mount Vernon agreed to take over the property upon completion of a major restoration of the 1932 mill. This is currently happening and the restored, working mill will reopen to the public in April 2002. So while Mount Vernon doesn't accept state funding, this project, the restoration of the mill, is a cooperative effort with the state. The distillery research is totally private. Hope that helps answer your question.

Yes, the whiskey that was made at Mount Vernon was basically rye whiskey. The ingredients were rye, corn and a little bit of malted barley. For a short time they were also distilling wheat.

Esther

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According to the article by James H. Bready (see my earlier post for the complete citation), Mt. Vernon Rye was distilled in east Baltimore "taking over a Fleet Street brewery that the Wineke-Airey Co. had converted to whiskey-making (under the name Cecil Distillery)" p. 369 while Mount Vernon Rye Whiskey was distilled in west Baltimore near Ostend and Russell Streets (p. 354).

Sounds like Maryland was once a hotbed of distilling.

Esther

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Linn,

D.C. isn't all that far from Stuart, is it? I think you & Vickie oughta see if you can get an invitation to take a drive over there, check things out, add some of your knowledge, and provide a StraightBourbon presence. I know there are some contributions you could make that might otherwise be overlooked, such as the relationship between whiskey consumption and pants (I'll leave you to explain that to Esther yourself )

Esther, this project really sounds fascinating. Especially if it's likely to shed more knowledge on the general history of rye distilling in Maryland. Mike Veach (also a member here, and also a career historian) is very interested in researching pre-Kentucky distilling in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Linn Spencer (whose qualifications, like mine, consist only of being intensely interested in the history and variety of American whiskey) originally came to this forum in search of information about Michter's distillery in central Pennsylvania, the last operating example of the old Maryland-Pennsylvania rye distilleries when it closed in the 1980's.

=John=
http://w3.one.net/~jeffelle/whiskey

[cowdery]

I have only a small addition to make to this discussion. According the Flaget Nally, director of the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History in Bardstown, KY, Washington's stills also produced brandy.

Regarding who can be called a "distiller," the term is frequently applied to distillery owners who do not necessarily engage in day to day whiskey making. Therefore, it is appropriate to call Washington "a distiller."

--Chuck Cowdery

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Happy little Stuart's Draft Virginia is about 95 miles south of Mount Vernon. I've been there twice, but not in twenty years or so. I'd be happy to assist in anyway that I can.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

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Linn,
When you offer to help does this offer involve drinking the white dog and taking your pants off? If so let me know when you plan to go in case you need an assistant with that white dog.
Mike Veach

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I have done very little research on Mt. Vernon rye whiskey. I have read that it was very popular with the bootleggers during prohibition because you could mix it with neutral spirits at a 7/1 ratio and still make a good product (Thats right Linn 1 pint of Mt. Vernon would end up as 8 pints). I do have some information on the Melrose distillery in Maryland If you think it might be of some use.
Mike Veach

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Mike the way it sounds to me is that we will need to cook up a mash and distill our own dog. Maybe you had best bring that still of George Washington's that currently resides in the Getz Whiskey Museam.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

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Sufficient enough for bankruptcy.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

[whiskyportal]

Hi Mike

It seems like I have no information at all on the Melrose Distillery at The Whisky Portal. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated, and will immediately be included in the database. BTW: It must have been a *strong* product to be mixed with water in that ratio... :-)

Dennis Klindrup
http://www.whiskyportal.com