George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill

Overview

• Location: Mount Vernon
• Category: Arts & Culture
• Hours: March 15 through October 31
  10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The American Spirit
George Washington was known first and foremost as commander in chief of the Continental Army and our nation’s first president. But Washington was also a successful business entrepreneur and innovative farmer.
Washington was one of the first Virginia planters to replace tobacco with wheat as his staple crop because it commanded a more reliable market, required less labor to produce, and was less destructive of soil fertility. He erected a large stone gristmill in 1771 to increase production of flour and cornmeal, and to be able to produce high quality flour for export to the West Indies, England and Europe.

In 1797, Washington’s Scottish farm manager James Anderson encouraged him to build a whiskey distillery adjacent to the gristmill. The distillery was the largest in America, at peak production in 1799, the distillery utilized five stills and a boiler and produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey valued at $7,500, making it one of the most successful economic components of Mount Vernon.
The considerable scale of these operations reflects Washington’s enthusiasm for this burgeoning industry, and his vision for America’s future as “granary to the world.”

GRISTMILL
A 16-foot water wheel powers the giant gears and millstones of Washington’s remarkable mill that includes the only operating Oliver Evans Automated Milling System in America. The Evans system won U.S. Patent No. 3 and helped to make the gristmill at Mount Vernon a commercial success. Demonstrations of the mill are given by millers in early-American attire. Stone ground cornmeal produced on site is available at the Gristmill Shop.

DISTILLERY
Distillers demonstrate 18th-century techniques operating five massive copper stills, mash tubs and the boiler in the two-story building that also features and office and living quarters. A museum on the second floor features a History Channel video, George Washington’s Liquid Gold, and an exhibit, Spirits of Independence: George Washington and the Beginnings of the American Whiskey Industry. George Washington’s Distillery is the gateway to the American Whiskey Trail.

George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill is located just 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. and 8 miles south of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia on Route 235 just three miles south of the Mount Vernon Estate.

Attraction Terms & Conditions

Each Ticket issued pursuant to the standard offer is valid for use through October 31, 2009. All orders are subject to credit card approval and billing address verification. The billing address will be verified with your credit card company so you must use the exact address that your statements are sent to. Print at Home® ticket orders are available immediately and accessible via your confirmation email.

All tickets are non-refundable/non-returnable. We are unable to issue exchanges or refunds after a purchase has been made including but not limited to lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed tickets.

Ticket package and prices are subject to change without notice.