RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia is honoring native son George Washington for his whiskey making prowess.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently signed legislation recognizing Washington’s rye whiskey produced at his Mount Vernon estate as the official state spirit.
Washington was urged by his farm manager, James Anderson, to try distilling whiskey at Mount Vernon, according to the bill.
Washington went slowly at first, producing 600 gallons in 1797. But in 1799, the year of his death, Washington’s distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons. It was the largest distillery in the country at the time.
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