4th of July tribute to our distiller in chief
George Washington wasn't only the country's first president; he was also a distiller.
A rare, 18th century letter penned by Washington goes on display at the George Washington Distillery at Mount Vernon during Fourth of July weekend.
A limited George Washington Rye Whiskey, based on Washington's recipe, also is being produced at the distillery, considered the Gateway to the American Whiskey Trail.
Before his death in 1799, Washington wrote the letter to his nephew, Col. William A. Washington, a cavalry commander during the Revolution. In the letter, Washington wrote "the demand ... is brisk" for his Rye Whiskey and requested his nephew's assistance in procuring additional grain for the distillery....