During the American Revolution, run was the alcohol drink of choice. Around 90% of the alcohol consumed by the American colonies was British rum, imported from the West Indies.

In the 1790s, whiskey was quickly becoming the alcohol of choice for Americans, moving rum from the number one spot, mostly due to a higher cost for the British impost and, partly from a sense of nationalistic pride (whiskey was made locally, using American grain).

As a result in the change of taste,  thousands of distilleries were built  by 1800, but most were small operations producing just a couple hundred gallons a year.

By 1820, whiskey was king, accounting for over 85% of the alcohol consumed by Americans.

And George Washington rode the whiskey wave. Besides growing tobacco, wheat and corn on his on his Mount Vernon Estate, he built a 4,000 square foot whiskey distillery to try to to satisfy America’s new thirst for whiskey.

He erected the distillery next to the grain gristmill that had been built 20 years earlier along Dogue Creek. The creek was (and still is) a reliable source for water to power the mill, but as whiskey production grew, a well was needed to supply the amount of water required.  Fuel for fire was collected from the surrounding wooded area, and the mill was a reliable source for grain.  With Alexandria nearby, a market for the finished product was just a short wagon ride away.

The distillery, using five 120-gallon stills, a boiler and wooden mash tubs, allowed production to grow from only 600 gallons in 1797, to over 11,000 gallons just three years later.  

The distillery building had three main functions — mashing and fermenting the grain; distillation of the whiskey; and the business operations office.

Both the original gristmill and the recently opened recreation of the original distillery are in operation and open for tours.

George Washington’s Whiskey Distillery and Gristmill
5514 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (Route 235)
Alexandria, VA 22309 (map it)

Dates and Times – March 15 to October 31, Daily – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tickets – Adults and Seniors – $4.00, Kids 6 – 11 – $2.00, 5 and under – FREE. Combination tickets of the Estate and gristmill and distillery are also available.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Huntington – Yellow line, the catch the Fairfax Connector #152 bus to the distillery and mill (about 20 minutes). Or take a cab from Vernon for the final 3-mile ride.

Parking – Free

Images – from personal collection – ©2008, Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Images – from personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti
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Post from: The DC Traveler

And the annual Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate is once such event.

The gardens at Mt. Vernon will be in full bloom and the views of the Potomac River from the lawn, accompanied by live jazz, should make for a perfect evening of relaxation.

An evening Candlelit Mansion tour is also available and includes a visit to the rarely-visited basement cellar. The ground’s outbuilding can also be toured, but not the wharf, Washington’s tomb, the pioneer farmer site, or the gardens. 

Expect an appearance by the General himself, George Washington.

Tickets for all three nights go on sale tomorrow.

Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway – 16 miles south of DC
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121 (map it)

Dates and Times – Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. nightly

Tickets – $30.00 and are available online at Ticketmaster or by phone at or 703-573-SEAT. This event sells out quickly, so order your tickets ASAP.

Note - No outside food or beverage is allowed. You can purchase a variety of food, desserts, snacks and beverages at Mount Vernon. No tables, pets,  Event occurs rain or shine. Designated drivers and under 21 visitors will receive free soft drinks.  ID required for purchasing alcohol. This event is designed for adults, not families.

Nearest Metro subway station – Huntington – Yellow line, then catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

Images – Flickr – people on blanket, all others – personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti _____________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

In both the first and second election for President (1789 and 1792) after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, General George Washington received only 69 votes. But at that time, it was a landslide.

Since there was no popular vote for president by citizens at the time, only members of the elected electoral college cast votes, making Washington the only president to win 100 percent of the vote. 

Congress set the president’s salary at $25,000, (worth about $500,000 in 1789), a sum that remained unchanged until after the Civil War.  Their thought was that the office should be available to any man, not just the wealthy who could afford to work for little or no pay.

Washington, as the president of a new nation and a new democracy, wanted his title to be less formal and to avoid resembling any of the titles that might be used on European royalty. Suggestion as to how to address the president ranged from "His Exalted High Mightiness", to "His Highness the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties. He preferred simply "Mr. President".

Surveyor, farmer, revolutionary, soldier, statesman, president, whiskey maker, and finally country gentleman, Washington set the standard for future presidents.

His image is on the U.S. quarter and $1 bill, he’s honored on Mt. Rushmore, and the nation’s capitol city is named after him. 

In the DC area, there are several major monuments to George Washington; the Washington Monument, the George Washington Masonic Memorial Temple in Alexandria, along with many places in Virginia he visited (creating the classic "George Washington slept here" line). But none are more notable than his home and estate in Mt. Vernon.

George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate is one of the most well maintained historical homes in America.  I recently took a tour of the renovated museum and education center and it is a must-see site. Besides the house and grounds, the museum completes the story of George Washington, from young man to his death.  With a large collection of personal possessions and images of the president, it is a learning experience for kids and adults alike.

The center includes 23 galleries, ten original videos, and over 500 historical artifacts. There are also three life-size wax models of Washington as a 19-year-old surveyor, a 45-year-old general, and lastly as a 57-year-old president, taking the oath of office.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121 (map it)

Dates and Times – Daily

• November through February, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• April through August, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
• March, September, and October, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Admission - Adults – $13.00, Seniors – $12.00, kids 6-11 with an adult – $6.00, under 5 – free.  

Nearest Metro subway station – Huntington – Yellow line, the catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

You may also reach Mt. Vernon form Washington, DC via Gray Line Bus Tours or on a Tourmobile.

Parking – free parking is available.

Images – personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti 

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Actually, free admission applies to anyone that has the same first name as any of the 43 presidents (a total of 27 different first names).

To celebrate President’s Day, you can pose for a photo with any of 13 presidents at Madame’s including George Washington, Tom Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, FDR, John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, or either George Bush.  There’s also a waving Hillary Clinton wax figure in case you’re thinking…

2/16 UPDATE – Madame’s has announced that they will also have a Barack Obama wax figure over the President’s Day holiday.

Out of 43 presidents, there have been 27 unique names.  Here’s the list of names that qualify for free admission:

Dates - Monday – Friday, Feb. 18-22, 2008

Details – For free admission, you must have the same first name as any United States President and a valid photo ID is required to prove your claim.

Madame Tussauds President’s Week
1025 F Street, NW at 10th Street
Washington D.C. 20004

Images – personal collection – © 2008 – Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12th) was also celebrated, but was never a legal national holiday. 

Various observances and parades are planned for Presidents’ Day – February 19th.

George Washington’s Mt. Vernon
An official wreath laying ceremony will be held at Washington’s tomb at 10:00 a.m.  Immediately afterwards, a Revolutionary War mock battle, as well as General Washington and a fife and drum corps. The grounds around of the tomb are small so getting close to the tomb to watch the ceremony may be difficult.

At 1:30 p.m., the fife and drum corps will march around the Mt. Vernon grounds with General Washington reviewing. 

Tickets for Mt. Vernon – Adults $13.00, Seniors $1.00 off,  Kids 6 -11 with an adult $6.00, 5 and under free.

Metro – Take the Metro subway on the Yellow line to the Huntington station and catch a Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.

Lincoln Memorial Ceremony
A reading of the Gettysburg Address and wreath laying ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial at noon.

Lincoln Memorial
23rd & Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC

Wreath Laying Ceremony at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution in Old Town Alexandria
Colonial militia and Old Town Alexandria citizens honor Soldiers of the Revolutionary War at 11:00 a.m. at the courtyard behind the Old Presbyterian Meeting House.

Old Presbyterian Meeting House
321 South Fairfax St.
Alexandria, VA  22314

George Washington Birthday Parade in Alexandria
The nation’s largest George Washington birthday parade starts at 1:00 p.m. (until 3:00 p.m.).  The parade Route – South Saint Asaph Street to Queen Street, to Royal Street, to King Street to Fairfax Street, to Gibbon Street.

* Washington’s actual birthday was February 11th, 1731, but after the British changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calander in 1752, his birthday retroactively changed to February 22nd.
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Post from: The DC Traveler