mount vernon whiskey

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That would have been white lightning they'd be mixing it with, not water. Or maybe even "bathtub gin" (fermented, but not distilled, sugar beer). So the alcohol content wouldn't be affected much by it. But Mt. Vernon's flavor would probably have been pretty strong for it to be the flavoring of choice. Then again, any kind of increase in flavor would be an improvement. And it was probably cheaper (and less suspicious to buy) than commercial whiskey flavoring, too.

Hmmm, wonder if THAT's what Chuck's dad remembers so fondly from the old days? :-))

Legend has it that Pappy Van Winkle used to sell Weller bourbon to local moonshiners who would use it to improve the flavor of their hootch. I suppose it also helped to ensure more dependable deliveries of his own product as well.

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

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When I said Neutral Spirits I meant grain neutral spirits or grain alcohol (also known as vodka when cut to 80 proof or so).
Mike Veach

[whiskyportal]

tsk, tsk... Reading is hard - and I obviously don't hold a masters degree in math (that much water would clearly have needed more than 100% pure alcohol - and even I should have realized that)! Thank you both for correcting my misunderstanding. I guess I was a bit fast there (*not* seen very often, according to my wife). But I still guess that the flavour must have been strong ;-)



Dennis Klindrup
http://www.whiskyportal.com

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Howdy All!

I called Esther White yesterday at Mount Vernon and we discussed an upcoming DISCUS event on the 21st of May. It is a dedication ceremony for the restoration of George Washington's distillery.

The stately plantation mansion is situated on the south bank of the Potomac River just south of old town Alexanderia. Barrels of whiskey and rum are to arrive by boat and be unloaded on the wharf. They are to be stored onsite in an undisclosed location for aging. This part of the ceremony is open to the public and I am happy to report that I will be in attendance and that I look forward to meeting Esther there.

The second portion of the event is by invitation only and will be held at the site of the gristmill; distillery, and cooperage complex. A catered lunch will be served accompanied by much speechifying. Esther has been more than kind in that she has sent a request to DISCUS that I might recieve credentials as a "cyber-reporter" for StraightBourbon.com and therefore be able to attend the invitation only portion of the event. The outcome of her request remains to be seen, but in any event I'll be attending no matter what, and I'll report back to the forum the events of the day.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

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I understand that Linn will be at the DISCUS event Monday May 21st at Mount Vernon. I look forward to meeting Linn at the distillery site and wanted to take an opportunity to let y'all know the archaeological excavation of George Washington's 1797 Distillery has commenced for the season. We excavate Wed. - Sat. from 8 to 4. The site is located at Washington's Mill Historical State Park about 3 miles south of Mount Vernon on State Road 235. We'd like to invite all interested straightbourbon members to visit the excavation if they're near Washington, DC this summer. Of course if you know you'll be able to visit it's best to email me at ewhite@mountvernon.org so we can expect you. Also we have an open house scheduled at the site on October 6 and 7. On those days the whole site will be open and our restored gristmill will be open for tours as well. The excavation will close for the season in early November.

I know Linn will have a great time at the DISCUS event and we look forward to seeing all y'all this summer.

Esther

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Esther I'd like to thank you and the Mount Vernon Ladies Association and DISCUS for a great event. I've written about half of the article and I've got two rolls of film being developed.

Once it's finished there are plenty of other occurances to discuss that although are beyond the scope of the article proper that I'm sure forum members will find most amusing.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.

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OK Folks it's up! Go to the front page and enjoy reading my account of the Mount Vernon DISCUS event. Then come back here for discussion and further commentary. ... and hey go easy it's the first article I've ever written.

Linn Spencer

Have Shotglass. Will Travel.