Because history almost always, without fail, sucks, we do need to talk about the downside to all this. Like the other operations on Mount Vernon, the distillery was operated by slaves. (The names of the distillers are known today: Daniel, James, Timothy, Peter, Nat, and Hanson.) Washington died during that prolific 1799 year on December 14 at age 67. Upon his death, the distillery was left to Lawrence Lewis, Washington’s nephew. Lewis was not able to successfully continue the operation, and the distillery burned down in 1814. That was the end of the original Mount Vernon distillery.
However, as Mount Vernon became a historical site, interest in the old distillery increased. In the late 1990s, a reconstruction project began, and the distillery was producing whiskey once again in 2007. Mount Vernon visitors today can tour the distillery and even buy whiskey made there. But unless that cash is going back to descendants of said slaves, we’ll pass.
Top Image: Gilbert Stuart
Related: 5 Reasons George Washington Was Either Lucky or a Wizard
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George Washington Was One Of America's Top Whiskey Producers
Source: Pinoy Daily News
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