Washington's "Liquid Gold" Flows Again
Distillery and Gristmill capture Washington's innovative entrepreneurial spirit
By Chuck Hagee

On August 16, 1777, General George Washington advised the President of Congress, "The benefits arising from moderate use of Liquor, have been experienced in All Armies, and are not to be disputed!!" He carried forth that belief in the "moderate use of Liquor," into the years following his presidency when he created the largest distillery in early America located next to his Gristmill. It proved to be one of his best investments producing 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey in 1799 valued at $7,500.
That entrepreneurial spirit of America's founding father and first Commander in Chief was celebrated last Friday when the reconstructed distillery was officially dedicated marking the commencement of a "spirited" grand opening weekend 210 years after Washington himself tasted the first results of his investment. Then and now they proved to be "Washington's Liquid Gold." In addition to Ladies Association Regent Gay Hart Gaines and Mount Vernon Executive Director James C. Rees taking center stage at the official ceremony, there was Dr. Peter Cressy, president and CEO, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, whose organization, with the support of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, donated $1.5 million toward the $2.1 million excavation and reconstruction project. "Washington was the most successful whiskey distiller of his time, and a strong proponent of responsibility and moderation. Modern distillers could have no better role model," Cressy told the crowd seated under a crystal clear sky next to the two story, 2,250 square feet, stone and wood distillery with its five copper stills brewing away.
"We (the Council) realized how important this project was to introduce George Washington as an entrepreneur. As a former university president I have had to raise a lot of money over the years. But I have never had such an easy task as raising money for this project. I had all the money in only six days," he said. That philanthropic capability was also highlighted by Rees when he introduced Gains, the 18th Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. "When we started the campaign to raise funds for our new capital campaign our goal was $85 million. We have raised $116 million thanks in large part to Gay Hart Gains. She is a leader among leaders," Rees said. "For 10 years we have had scientists, researchers, and archaeologists working on this project. It is a tribute to George Washington entrepreneurship. He loved making a profit. And, his ethics in business were as strong as they were in his military and governmental careers," Gaines said. "This day is here due to the generosity of the distillers and to the support from the State of Virginia and most particularly Senator Toddy Puller for her total support in getting the necessary legislation passed," Gaines stated. Puller (D-36) introduced the legislation authorizing Mount Vernon Estate to produce and sell whiskey created at the distillery.
"The bill actually sailed through the Senate with the presentation of a bottle of whiskey in the subcommittee," Puller said. She then presented a framed copy of the legislation to Gaines.

EXPLAINING THE LONG and tedious process to establish the actual location of the distillery and determine its true size, Dr. Dennis Pogue, director, Restoration, Historic Mount Vernon, explained, "Although historians knew for years Washington had a distillery here, archeologist dug for five summers to establish the actual footprint."
He noted that Creesy first came to the site when it was nothing more than an archeological dig. "One of the real benefits of having the distillers involved was that they brought their expertise with them," Pogue said. "They are among the real heros of this day, along with all the others that made this happen."
In addition to Puller's presentation of the legislation, Esther Vassar, administrator, Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and John Manfreda, administrator, U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, presented Gaines and Rees with the necessary licenses to begin distillery operations. "This license authorizes you to distill and sell 5,000 gallons or less per year," Vassar said. Following their presentations, George Washington, portrayed by William Sommerfield, came onto the stage to welcome all the dignitaries and guests to his distillery. "Our job is to operate this distillery -- at a profit," Washington said to his farm manager and the force behind creating the distillery, Scotsman James Anderson, portrayed by Terry Burgler.
Anderson, who have distilling experience in America and Scotland, convinced Washington with an abundant amount of excellent grain from the Gristmill and water supply from Dogue Creek distilling whiskey could be very profitable. Starting with only two stills, Anderson expanded to five within a year.
The Distillery and Gristmill will be open on a daily basis from now through October with costumed distillers and millers demonstrating both processes. Visitors will also be able to tour the Distillery's second floor which housed the living quarters of John Anderson, son of James Anderson, who served as the distillery manager and his assistant Peter Bingle.
Both the distillery and Gristmill are located on Route 235, three miles south of Mount Vernon Estate. Admission to the site is $4 for adults, $2 for children ages six to 11, and free for children five and under. When combined with admission to Mount Vernon, tickets are $2 for adults and $1.50 for children 6 to 11. Tickets can be purchased at Mount Vernon's Ford Orientation Center or at the Gristmill Shop on site. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Additional information is available
at VisitMountVernon.org
or by calling 703-780-2000; TDD 703-799-8697.
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Whiskey chasers follow breweries Friendly Oregon regulations nurture a growing connection between the spirits and beer industries Wednesday, April 11, 2007

JOHN FOYSTON

The forecast for Oregon's alcoholic beverage industry might be symbolized as a shot with a beer back.
Oregon is accustomed to being a leader in wine and craft beer, but it looks as if it will soon be adding the hard stuff as microdistilleries open around the state. There are approximately 90 craft distilleries in the U.S. and 10 percent are in Oregon, according to figures from the American Distilling Institute. And at least four more Oregon distilleries are planned to open this year.
"Spirits will be the most dynamic growth over the next five years," said Jim Parker, the former director of the Oregon Brewers Guild, the craft beer industry group. "They'll grow from a handful to perhaps two dozen. And look for more than just white spirits such as vodka. Expect to see more rums, whiskeys and fruit brandies made from Oregon ingredients -- you'll see distillers experimenting more."
Moreover, he sees a growing connection between Oregon's spirits and beer industries. Not that Oregon wine is out of the picture, but there's not as much room for cross-fertilization because most spirits, except cognac and brandy, begin as a beerlike mash of fermented grain. Also, Oregon Liquor Control Commission rules allow companies to operate both a distillery and a brewery.
McMenamins and Rogue Ales have already taken advantage of that, and they won't be the last.
"There's going to be more symbiosis between brewers and distillers," said Parker, who has a pub in Southeast Portland and another opening soon. "You'll begin to see collaboration to take advantage of economies of scale, of distillers moving in next to brewers because of the similarity of processes and equipment."
His new Green Dragon Ale House is a case in point. Parker and former Deschutes brewer Lorren Lancaster plan to open their new brewpub in June, in 7,000 square feet of the former Yamhill Brewing space in the central-eastside industrial core. A new distillery is leasing the adjoining 3,000 square feet, and Parker's brewery will supply the base for some of the spirits. The pub also will feature spirits from the yet-to-be-named distillery, and from every other Oregon craft distillery.
The new brewpub/distillery also may help create an informal eastside brewing district, Parker said -- the surrounding 12 square blocks are already home to three craft distilleries and two brewery/pubs.
Record year for brewers
Oregon brewers are in the middle of a major growth period, having survived a mid-'90s shakeout, a post-Sept. 11 slowdown and a more recent flattening of beer consumption nationwide.
They just posted another record year, making 3.5 million gallons more beer in 2006 than in 2005, a 16 percent increase and the third year in a row of double-digit gains.
Organic beers will be part of the trend of the next five years, he said. Portland has at least two organic-certified breweries and hosts the annual North American Organic Beer Conference.
He also foresees several brewers moving into the now-empty middle ground in production -- the 5,000-30,000 barrels (155,000-1 million gallons) per year range. Butenschoen predicts breweries such as Terminal Gravity, Cascade Lakes, Laurelwood and others will move into that big-but-not-great-big production level.
Wineries booming, too
Oregon wine maintains its decade-long record of strong growth, said Ted Farthing, executive director of the Oregon Wine Board. "There are inevitable ups and downs in agriculture," he said, "but over a 10-year period, our production has averaged 8 percent annual growth and planted vineyard acreage has more than doubled, from 7,500 in 1996 to 15,600 in 2006."
Farthing said Oregon has 350 wineries compared with 303 in 2005. "Oregon is also a leader in sustainable viticulture, with 23 percent of our vineyards currently certified as sustainable, organic or biodynamic."
Farthing sees that trend continuing and expects the industry to earn more out-of-state dollars.
"Statewide, we're still seeing growth in wine-related tourism, which accounted for $92 million in revenue for the state in 2004, and we believe Oregon is poised to attract a lot more attention for its unique food and wine experiences."
A recent survey of West Coast wineries published on WineBusiness.com found that most wineries expect double-digit growth in 2007, he said.
John Foyston: 503-221-8368;
johnfoyston@news.oregonian.com
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Hello Mr. Owens

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vivian Watts (Vivian in my case is a male name - it creates confusion in the US). I have studied Chemistry and Mathematics in South Africa (undergrad) and then I did my PhD on Cognac and California alambic brandies at UCDavis (completed 2003), working with Profs. Roger Boulton and Christian Butzke at the Department of Viticulture and Enology. During my research years there, I also produced brandies with a miniature Cognac pot still and at my current employer, KWV, I am involved with large-scale distillation, maturation, experimental distillations, research with GC-MS and more.
The reason I am contacting you is that my wife (US citizen) and I are looking to move back to the US, and I am therefore looking for employment there. I just came across your name on www.distilling.com and I was wondering if you know of any employment opportunities or leads for someone with my type of experience and expertise. I am open to both research and production positions. I must say that I have always thought my dream-job would be to be involved with small-scale distilling somewhere but such opportunities are of course scarce. It sure must be a great way of earning one's living though.
I have attached my latest resumé for you to look at would really appreciate to hear your advice or opinions.
Sincerely
Vivian Watts
Dr. Vivian Watts
Chemist (KWV SA)
P.O. Box 528
Suider-Paarl
7624
South Africa
+27 (0)21 807 3379 (W)
+27 (0)83 654 6096 (Cell)
+27 (0)21 863 1149 (Fax)
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Dear members,

The IBD invites you for a get together during the EBC congress in Venice on the 9th of May. Lunch and beers will be provided and it will be a great opportunity for us all to meet and network in this wonderful setting. The meeting will be held at the hotel Quatro Fontane (hotel number 11 on the map in your programme). I will send the exact time of the meeting as well as a reminder in a few weeks.
I look forward to seeing you in Venice and for those who cannot make it, we are also planning to hold another meeting later in the year in the USA.

Kind regards

Sylvie Van Zandycke
Chairman of the international section of the IBD

Sylvie Van Zandycke, PhD
Brewing Fermentation Manager
Lallemand Brewing
176 Coney Island Ave
Las Vegas NV 89123
USA
Tel/fax: +1 7024058396
Cell: +1 7024818735
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ON THE ROAD
AGAIN

Tomorrow (April 17th) I'll leave on a four month across country road trip. I'm photographing everything from Cosco to Starbucks for a new look at SUBURBIA.
I will also be photographing pot distilleries for a book on craft distilling.
www.distilling.com

As part of this trip I ALSO want to photograph everyone I know
If you want to be photographed or have a "billowens" image in mind CONTACT ME at
bill@billowens.com
My cel is 510-566-9566.
I prefer e-mail.
I you just want to meet for coffee...let me know. And if you have "big" houses with a guest room would be happy to stay one or two days.
Bill
Cities to be visited
Hayward, CA 94541
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Los Angeles, CA 90012
San Diego, CA 92101
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Las Vegas, NV 89044
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
St. George, UT 84770
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Palisade, CO 81526
Denver, CO 80205
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Santa Fe, CO 97505
Liberal, KS 67901
Dodge City, KS 67801
Emporia, KS 66801
Kansas City, MO 64108
Lee's Summit, MO 64064
Weston, MO 64098
Atchison, KS 66002
Omaha, NE 68102
Muscatine, IA 52761
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Dubuque, IA 52001
Chicago, IL 60626
Bloomington, IN 47404
Louisville, IN 47150
Kirkwood, MO 63112
St. Louis, MO 63139
Nashville, TN 37219
Memphis, TN 38103
Kelso, TN 37348
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
New Orleans, LA 70122
Mobile, AL 36602
Panama City, FL 32401
Tampa, FL 33605
Miami, FL 33179
Key Largo, FL 33037
Key West, FL 33040
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
Homeland, FL 33847
Atlanta, GA 30303
N. Charleston, SC 29405
Asheville, NC 28801
Wilmington, NC 28401
Buxton, NC, 27920
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
Durham, NC 27701
Sperryville, VA, 22740
Culpeper, VA, 22701
Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Morgantown, WV 26505
Pittsburgh, PA 15122
Washington DC, 20001
Annapolis, MD 21401
Baltimore, MD 21201
New York, NY 10001
Providence, RI 02903
Boston, MA 02130
Portland, ME 04101
Boston, MA 02130
Burlington, VT 05401
Utica, NY 13501
Rochester, NY 14603
Buffalo, NY 14209
Cleveland, OH 44103
Detroit, MI 48203
Holland, MI 49423
Muskegon, MI 49440
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Green Bay, WI 54304
Milwaukee, WI 53202
La Crosse, WI 54601
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
Rapid City, SD 57701
Lead, SD 57754
Sheridan, WY 82801
Cody, WY 82414
Canyon Village, WY 82190
Livingston, MT 59047
Idaho Falls, MT 83401
Twin Falls, ID 83301
Boise, ID 83702
Baker, OR 97814
Seattle, WA 98116
Portland, OR 97210
Chico, CA 95926
Loomis, CA 95650
Hayward, CA 94541
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http://distilling.com/backissues.html
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--To obtain a distilled spirits permit go to: http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml

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--To obtain TTB list of DSPs go to: http://www.ttb.gov/foia//err.shtml

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--To obtain TTB statistics on distilling go to: www.ttb.gov then scroll down to "spirits" and then the "year".
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--To obtain Distilled Spirits Laws and Regulations go to: http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/spirits_regs.shtml

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--To obtain label regulations go to: http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam.shtml distilled spirits manual circular.
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