S1E1 - George Washington: The Distiller?
This episode dives into a little known fact about our first president. George Washington owned and operated a gristmill and distillery at his estate at Mt. Vernon. You can still visit and buy his whiskey, still manufactured in the refurbished mill and rebuilt distillery when you visit Mt. Vernon today!
Did you know that George Washington had his own distillery at Mt. Vernon?
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Between 1770 and 1771, Just five years before the Declaration of Independence is signed, GW constructed the gristmill on his Dogue Run Farm.
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Definition of a Gristmill: A gristmill grinds grain into flour. The name refers to the grinding equipment as well as the building.
Gristmills, powered by water wheels, have been around for many centuries, some as early as 19 BC.
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In 1791, GW upgraded his gristmill to include the automated function of what is called the Evans system and he was the first to install it in the United States.
