Washington: King of the Hooch

Thank you, GW. No, not you, Mr. Spending Fiend, I'm talking about the OG gee-dub. That's right, George Washington.

If you're anything like me, you've brewed your own beer. And, if you're anything like me, you ran into stiff opposition from roommates and significant others who complained of the stench of hops and bleach (no, bleach is not an ingredient in beer). If only I could have invoked our nation's Foundingest Founding Father as my ally in defense of homebrewed alkeehol.

MOUNT VERNON, Va.--Although George Washington was born 275 years ago tomorrow, most Americans think they know a great deal about him. He led American soldiers in winning our independence from Britain. He was the nation's first president. He adorns our dollar bill and a new dollar coin. But how many people know he was also a leading businessman, probably the No. 1 whiskey producer in all of colonial America?

Not me, thank you very much. The inestimable John Fund (actually, I'd estimate him to be more than a tad over 200, based on my one personal encounter, but that's neither here nor there) has a fun column on the subject.

Of course, I think I'll stick to my beer instead of bathtub gin...I sampled the re-created product--made of 60% rye, 35% corn and 5% malted barley--during the recent dedication of the rebuilt distillery. Truth to tell, while the color was a pleasing amber with reddish tones, the taste was more reminiscent of moonshine than today's bourbons. In Washington's time, "quality" was a term that referred to the alcohol content far more than the complexity of the distilling process.

Indeed. A mistake that many of us have made, even unto the present.