George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill
George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill is a functioning reconstruction of the facilities used by George Washington to grind grain and make whiskey
George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill is a reconstruction of the mill and distillery that began operating at his Mount Vernon plantation in the late 1700s. The distillery became the largest income generator for the estate and was the largest whiskey distillery in the country at the time. In 2017, George Washington’s rye whiskey, distilled at Mount Vernon, was named Virginia’s official state spirit.
Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill can only be visited as part of a guided tour. The original distillery burned down in 1814, and the gristmill fell into disrepair and was torn down in 1850. The gristmill and miller’s cottage were reconstructed in the 1930s, but due to prohibition and the Great Depression, the distillery wasn’t rebuilt until 2007. Archaeologists, historians and distillers scoured historical records to faithfully recreate not only the buildings, but the milling and distilling process and recipe used by George Washington.
While most visitors are mainly interested in the distillery, the gristmill is interesting in its own right. The grain from the gristmill was used at Mount Vernon, in the distillery, and was exported to the Caribbean and Europe for profit. With his gristmill, Washington found the flour trade more profitable than tobacco, and soon planted most of his fields with grains. A nearby creek was damned, a pond was created, and a two mile millrace was hand dug to supply a consistent flow of water to power the waterwheel that runs the gristmill. George Washington had an innovative automated milling system installed that reduced his labor costs and increased efficiency. During your tour, the waterwheel will be briefly turned on so you can watch all the wooden gears in the mill turn the mill stones to grind the grain and move it to the attic for cooling.
Like all whiskey made in the 18th century, Washington’s distillery made clear, un-aged whiskey. It was mainly distributed locally throughout Alexandria, Virginia. Aging whiskey in charred, oak barrels did not begin until the 19th century; this process gives the whiskey an amber color and less astringent flavor. The reconstruction of George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill is fully functioning, and Mount Vernon staff do two distilling runs a year – usually in March and November when the distillery is closed to the public. They use the exact same process and recipe used by George Washington’s distiller, and it is very labor intensive, hot, and dirty. Barrels are filled with boiling water using large wooden ladles. Corn, rye, and malted barley ground at the gristmill are mixed into the water using long, wooden mash rakes. The fermented mash is then transferred into the stills one bucket-full at at time. The distilled whiskey is then bottled for sale in the gift shop. The distillery also makes aged whiskey to satisfy a more modern palate.
George Washington’s Scottish plantation manager and six slaves were responsible for the whiskey distilling operation. It’s hard not to picture the backbreaking slave labor that was required to distill thousands of gallons of spirits each year. Mount Vernon has recently begun highlighting the stories of the slaves who toiled on the estate, and I hope this mindset is eventually incorporated into the the distillery tour. After your tour, you are free to visit the museum on the second floor of the distillery.
While touring George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill is interesting on its own, I highly recommend a tour with Atlas Obscura the next time they offer it. You’ll get visit the attic to see the hopper boy, a spinning rake that cools the ground mill by spreading it into zen-like patterns. More importantly, the Atlas Obscura tour includes a tasting of the whiskey made at Washington’s distillery. As the rye whiskey currently sells for $98 for a 375 ml bottle, this unique tour is a great chance to taste a sample while getting a behind the scenes tour of the distillery.
George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill is the gateway of the American Whiskey Trail, which highlights the cultural and historical aspects of the American whiskey distilling. George Washington is best known for being the first President of the United States, but the gristmill and distillery showcase his entrepreneurial and innovative side. Whether you visit as part of a trip to Mount Vernon or just to check out the gristmill and distillery, it’s worth a visit.
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Address
5514 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Alexandria, VA
Metro Station
- Huntington (YL)
Directions
George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill is easiest to visit by car. I have not tried it, but it is possible to get there using public transportation. Take the Metro to Huntington Station, and then take the Richmond Highway Express Bus towards Fort Belvoir. It is about a 30 minute bus ride; get off at Rt 1 Richmond Hwy & Jeff Todd Way. Then walk about half a mile down Mount Vernon Memorial Highway to the Distillery and Gristmill. The highway isn’t very pedestrian friendly, so take this route only if you cannot get there by car.
If you are coming from the historic Mount Vernon estate, a shuttle runs between Mount Vernon and George Washington’s Distillery and Gristmill.
Cost
$5.00 for the Distillery and Gristmill tour
The Distillery and Gristmill is included in the $18.00 general admission ticket to Mount Vernon
Hours
April through October from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Length of Adventure
1 hour
Website
https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/distillery-gristmill/
