Whiskey in America – Archaeology Lecture and Tasting Event

Whiskey in America: Archaeology Lecture and Tasting Event with Drayton Hall’s Director of Archaeology

The recent attention towards the reconstruction of George Washington’s distillery, a 5-still commercial operation on one of Washington’s farms from 1797-c. 1802, has sparked interest in spirits distillation in America. The distillery burned to ground in 1814, and was lost until re-discovered by Mount Vernon archaeologists in 1997. Intensive excavations uncovered the entire structure, revealing information about the layout of the stills, drains, and living quarters. A generous grant from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) helped enable a reconstruction of the distillery, which is completely operational – one of the few places where whiskey is made just as it was in the early Republic. The recipe for Washington’s whiskey survives, and is faithfully reproduced in small batches, twice a year, at the distillery.

The lecture will provide a brief introduction to distilled products made in colonial America, and combined with information drawn from the archaeological record of known production sites, with specific reference to Washington’s distillery. Following the lecture, five whiskeys are offered for tasting.

• Location: The Andrew Moffett House, 328 East Bay Street
• Time: 6pm

Register