OVER SOME OBAN SCOTCH RECENTLY, a college friend lamented that Americans are averse to the notion of a wet lunch. I recalled the Sam Adams ad in which two guys at a business lunch order water until an enterprising fellow–clearly destined to be a leader–orders a Sam Adams. Then a gray-haired man, whom they all want to impress, orders, saying he’ll also have a Sam Adams.
Alas, if the water-drinkers only knew their American history, they would not look upon a midday drink as the mark of an underachiever. It turns out that our nation’s foremost statesman, George Washington, was so fond of whiskey that he built a distillery at Mount Vernon. When exactly it ceased to function is hard to say, but it is now back in action. The Distilled Spirits Council and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, working with some intrepid historians and archaeologists, have excavated and are rebuilding the good general’s old distillery. Best of all, it is being used to make some of the strong stuff as our Founding Father might have drunk it.
So I took a lunchtime trip to Mount Vernon to experience firsthand this historic whiskey. There I got to meet the master distillers of America’s 11 major whiskey distilleries. Much as the Indians and Pilgrims of old assembling in harmony to glut their appetites, the men behind the magic at Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Jack Daniel’s, and other fine whiskeys threw off partisan allegiances to come to Mount Vernon to create a “super whiskey,” a blend of their best products, at the site of GW’s old distillery.
Whiskey is not of American origin, despite the abundance of distilleries in our country. Wise folk say it was discovered in Ireland and perfected in Scotland. Indeed, Washington’s original whiskey was made with the help of a Scots-born Mount Vernon employee. Likely pining for what in the loch-laden glens of his homeland is known as uisge beatha (pronounced “iske-bara”), or “water of life,” he urged Washington to construct a distillery. The astute general foresaw that this would be a fruitful enterprise.
When the revolutionary war broke out, the Brits blockaded the rum-running routes from the Caribbean sugar plantations to the colonies, forcing Americans to begin distilling their own product. Lacking the sugar cane needed for rum, they used their abundant grain and corn to make whiskey. Soon, it became patriotic to drink whiskey in lieu of rum–a bit like freedom fries instead of French fries. Washington even called for the creation of more “public distilleries” in the states to ensure an appropriate supply, for, as he put it, the effect of liquor “duly distributed daily and mixed with Water at stated times” would be “refreshing and salutary.”
Back in the here and now, the “super whiskey” known as “George Washington’s Distillery Vatted American Whiskey” was being auctioned off for hurricane relief. My mouth began to water as I watched the distillers, dressed in colonial garb, bottle the precious stuff. Occasionally, the bottlers, in their zest, would spill some of the whiskey, and immediately containers of every sort–tin cups, shot glasses, whatever–appeared at the end of outstretched hands to catch whatever portion they might. I considered using my shoe, but thought better of it. Fortunately, a fellow offered me a sip from his glass. As the whiskey rolled onto my tongue and down my throat, I felt on fire; but it was a comforting heat, awaking the senses as the burn traveled through every vein in my body.
Now, some historians say old George suffered from pain caused by his false teeth, and I imagined him at Mount Vernon, sitting on his veranda, gazing onto the Potomac and enjoying his very own whiskey to dull the pain and lift his spirits. And while the Lord may have made whiskey to prevent the Irish from conquering the world, Americans such as Washington had the virtue of moderation to keep their intake in check. Washington, in fact, often cited “rules of civility” to encourage moderation in demeanor and action.
One of them related to imbibing: “Drink not nor talk with your mouth full neither Gaze about you while you are a Drinking.” It would not be meet for one to divert proper attention from the beverage at hand, for, as he noted once, “the benefits arising from moderate use of Liquor, have been experienced in All Armies, and are not to be disputed!!” Though I am sure the Supreme Court could find some way to twist GW’s words, his intention seems plain enough. So, during your next hard day of work in this month when we give thanks, take some time to honor our rich heritage by skipping the iced tea and, without gazing about, confidently ordering yourself a glass of the strong stuff.
– Joseph Lindsley
