Spirit Journal, Inc. announces RUM FOR ALL website and monthly newsletter
Founding Rum For All Members Cited
Source: Spirit Journal
September 7, 2011 (New York, NY) F. Paul Pacult and Sean Ludford, the co-directors of the groundbreaking independent initiative, titled RUM FOR ALL, announce the creation of the official Rum For All website (\www.rumforall.com) and the formation of the Rum For All monthly newsletter, effective today.
"As Phase Two in Rum For All's development, we're delighted to launch for media, the consuming public and the beverage industry the official website for Rum For All," says Ludford. "Being on-line in a major way is essential for an educational program such as Rum For All."
Adds Pacult, "As Rum For All tasting events will unfold over the coming months, the website and newsletter will provide the ideal vehicles to help accomplish the mission of Rum For All: to get the Rum category the respect it deserves in an informative, insightful and entertaining manner."
"We're delighted to announce that the first four Founding Members of Rum For All are Appleton Estate, Bacardi USA, Brugal and Ron Abuelo," says Ludford. "These four pivotal Rum producers understand that the Rum For All premise is to elevate the entire Rum category to the stature that it deserves. We salute them for their foresight and willingness to proactively assist in making Rum For All a success."
Created and directed by Spirit Journal, Inc. and underwritten, in part, by supporting members from the Rum industry, Rum For All is:
. an informative website and a monthly newsletter that focus squarely on all things Rum, from serious discussions about production techniques to distiller interviews to Rum country travel tips to Rum events to information about how to make the best Rum cocktails.
. large event seminars that position Rum as an iconic, elite distillate of distinction that runs in the same league as Scotch Whisky, Bourbon, Cognac and Tequila.
. intimate dinners, guided by F. Paul Pacult and Sean Ludford, for media and trade in selected markets that display Rum's peerless versatility and world-class charm through tasting and food matching.
. vigorous participation in social media outlets to discuss and promote the cause of Rum's singular distinction directly to consumers, media and trade.
Says Pacult, "Top-notch Rums are sources of immense sensory pleasure that display regional aspects and centuries of production skill. Rum For All's core mission is to elevate the understanding and the public profile of Rum by making the case that Rum is, in fact, The Supreme Global Adult Beverage. All for Rum and Rum For All."
Becoming a Rum For All member is easy, affordable and highly beneficial for all Rum producers. For more information on Rum For All membership, please call 845-895-1922.
About Spirit Journal, Inc. Founded in 1991 by F. Paul Pacult and Sue Woodley, Spirit Journal, Inc. is a leading publisher, events producer and consulting firm to the beverage industry. For more information, please email mail@spiritjournal.com or call 845-895-1922.
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Beverage Alcohol Resource's DRINKSKOOL.com Is Now in Session!
Online Cocktail Teaching Program Designed to Make Everyone a Better Bartender
Source: Savona Communications
April 3, 2013
Award-winning beverage industry icons Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, Steve Olson, F. Paul Pacult, Andy Seymour and David Wondrich, the founding members of legendary Beverage Alcohol Resource® LLC (BAR), are delighted to announce that DrinkSkool, their consumer-oriented, on-line teaching program, is now operational. DrinkSkool.com is BAR's engaging, enlightening and entertaining on-line spirits and mixology education program that brings the expertise of six of the world's foremost spirits and cocktail professionals into easily digested form.
Best of all, DrinkSkool tuition is FREE!
Says BAR® partner Doug Frost, "DrinkSkool is the cutting-edge, step-by-step on-line resource for cocktail creation and mixology methods. We designed and constructed DrinkSkool in such an approachable way that virtually anyone can become an accomplished maven of spirits and cocktails.even Dale and Paul."
Drinkskool is laid out in 10 Lessons, starting with Lesson One: Mixology through to Lesson Ten: Preparing for the Certified Drinks Expert Examination. Here are five key benefits that anyone - from average consumers of beverage alcohol to industry professionals - can gain by taking DrinkSkool's 10 Lessons:
. Watch BAR Master Ryan Maybee (and IMBIBE Magazine's Mixologist of the Year) craft the most important cocktails, cocktails everyone wants to be able to make
. Discover how professionals taste and evaluate spirits and cocktails for balance and quality in Lesson Seven
. Learn critical bartending techniques and tricks (how to muddle mint, flame an orange peel and more) from BAR partner Andy Seymour
. Understand what differentiates a Blended Malt Scotch from a Single Malt Scotch; an Irish Whisky from a Japanese whisky; and an Armagnac from a Cognac in Lesson Five
. Access an ever-expanding bank of new and classic cocktail recipes
Taking part in BAR's DrinkSkool is easy: simply log onto http://www.drinkskool.com/. Once there, follow the Lessons, view the videos, learn the recipes and become a member of an expanding community of cocktail lovers and aficionados.
Drinkskool Lessons include everything you need to know to become a pro behind the bar (even if that's your own home bar):
1. Mixology
2. Recipes
3. How People Make Distilled Spirits
4. White Spirits
5. Brown Spirits
6. Liqueurs
7. Tasting Spirits and Cocktails
8. Advanced Mixology
9. How to Judge a Bar
10. Preparing for the Certified Drinks Expert Examination
And get ready to join the BAR guys for DrinkSkool's next great iteration: THE CERTIFIED DRINKS EXPERT EXAMS! Coming later in 2013, the DrinkSkool exams that will earn you the right to call yourself a Certified DrinkSkool Expert!
ABOUT BEVERAGE ALCOHOL RESOURCE
BAR was conceived in March 2005 over drinks in San Francisco. BAR became a formal and legal entity in July 2006 and today is globally looked upon as the platinum standard of spirits and mixology instruction. The six founding members are Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, Steve Olson, F. Paul Pacult, Andy Seymour and David Wondrich.
Click here to visit Drinkskool.com.
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A Brief Tequila Terminology Guide
With more than 1.000 registered brands of tquila as reported by the Tequila Regulaltory Council, it's not exactly easy to remember those brands let alone their differences. So how do you dcipher between a tequila that's been labeled añejo versus one that's a reposado. Follow this short guide to avoid any confusion.
| 100% agave. |
100% agave. Tequila falls into one of two categories: this or mixto. With 100% agave, it's made completely from the sugars of the Weber blue agave plant, bottled in Mexico and labeled with a phrase that signifies it's derived from pure agave.
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| Añejo. |
Meaning old and mature, this level can only be found on bottles containing tequila tha has been aged inoak barrels for at least one year - typically between one and six years - and the barrels don't exceed 600 liters. The aging process creates tequila that is darker in color (amber) ore complex, smoother and richer. It's also known as aged or extra-aged.
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| Blanco. |
This type is clear, unaged and usually bottled immediately after it's distilled - no barrel aging necessary. All tequila begins in this form. In addition to blanco, it may also be called white, silver platinum or plata.
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| Extra Añejo. |
Meaning old and mature, this level can only be found on bottles containing tequila that has been aged in oak barrels for at least one year - typically between one and six years - and the barrels don't exceed 600 liters. The aging process creates tequila that is darker in color (amber) ore complex, smoother and richer. It's also known as aged or extra-aged.
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| Gold. |
Characteristically known as young or smooth, this type can also be called joven, suave or abocado. Its name is derived from the amber hue it develops when stored in the oak casks. Typcially found as a mixto, this type can also be created by combining a silver tequila with either an añejo or reposado, thus keeping the 100% agave classification.
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| Gran Reposado. |
Although not an 'official' label, this name refers to the 100% agave tequilas that rest in wood barrels longer than reposados but shorter than añejos.
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| Mixto. |
When a tequila doesn't say that it's 100 agave, it falls into this category, which means it's produced from a minumum of 51% agave sugars and the remainder from other sugars. Unlike 100% agave, it can be bottled outside of the Tequila region and allowed to contain caramel color, oak extract flavoring, glycerin and sugar-based syrup.
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| Reposado. |
Also known as rested and aged, this classification means that a tequila has remained in wood barrels or storage tanks for at least two months but no more than 12 months. Characteristics include a golden color and a flaor balance between the agave and wood.
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| Suave. |
It's not an "official" label, but this distinction is given to blanco tequlas that are aged up to two months before being bottled, making a smoother spirit. |
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Celebrating Bourbon Heritage Month
By: Nightclub and Bar
Looking for something a bit simpler to try out this fall? According to a survey of 970 legal purchase-aged consumers by Beam Global Wine & Spirits and Clarus Research Group, Bourbon on the Rocks is the most popular bourbon-based drink. Of those who selected a cocktail of choice, 45 percent chose the rocks option, which included 52 percent of male respondents and 39 percent of females. Tied for second were the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned, each with 21 percent, and the Mint Julep followed with 13 percent of the vote.
For more info, click here to visit Beam Brands of Spirit.
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All the latest from Jack Daniel's...
Honey Hysteria
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Click here for an informative video on the Whiskey Trail tour
of the famous Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey distilleries.
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Thanks to Frank Coleman and the Distilled Spirits Council for permission to add this article to our site.
DISTILLED SPIRITS COUNCIL LAUNCHES AMERICAN WHISKEY TRAIL sm
-- NATIONAL TOURISM INITIATIVE BEGINS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON’S DISTILLERY --
The Distilled Spirits Council in cooperation with Historic Mount Vernon today announced the creation of a new distilling museum at George Washington’s Distillery, which will become the Gateway to the American Whiskey Trail sm, a new national cultural heritage and tourism initiative featuring historic sites and museums in 5 states that showcase whiskey and distilling.
"What better place to serve as the gateway to the American Whiskey Trail than George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon," said Distilled Spirits Council President Peter Cressy. "George Washington was the most successful distiller of his time and symbolizes everything modern distillers stand for: responsibility, moderation and quality."
Mount Vernon historians, while recently combing through historic records, found that George Washington added a second story to his distillery for extra grain storage due to the increasing demand for his whiskey. Also concerned about security at the distillery, Washington had bedroom quarters built into the upstairs space for his distillery manager and assistant manager.
Since 2000, America’s leading distillers and wholesalers have donated $1.2 million to Mount Vernon to reconstruct the distillery at its original site. Mount Vernon intends to restore the second floor of the distillery with an extra $300,000 donated by the distilled spirits industry and use the space as a national distilling museum.
“Through this interactive museum, we hope to educate millions of tourists about our Founding Father’s successful distilling operation and to preserve the rich heritage of distilling in America,” said Jim Rees, Executive Director of Historic Mount Vernon.
American Whiskey Trailsm Launched at Mount Vernon
At the Mount Vernon event, participants -- including the country’s leading Master Distillers -- toasted to the launch of the American Whiskey Trail sm with a taste of George Washington’s Rye Whiskey which was made by the Master Distillers last year at the distillery site using George Washington’s historic recipe.
The American Whiskey Trail sm will take tourists on an educational journey into the cultural heritage and history of spirits in America. From the colonial era, where Whiskey had an important economic and social function in the fabric of the community, to the Whiskey Rebellion, through Prohibition and into modern times spirits have played a sometimes controversial but always fascinating role in our nation’s history. Historic sites on the American Whiskey Trail include:
George Washington Distillery, (Mount Vernon, VA)
The distillery is currently an archaeology site but soon to be completely reconstructed. Upon completion, it will be the gateway to the American Whiskey Trailsm where you can begin an educational journey into the cultural heritage and history of spirits in America.
www.mountvernon.org/learn/pres_arch/index.cfm
George Dickel Distillery (Tullahoma, TN)
Since 1870, George A. Dickel Tennessee Whiskey is still handcrafted with the same processes and attention-to-detail that George Dickel established to ensure that each drop is as remarkable now as it was when the first batch was made.
www.georgedickel.com
Jack Daniel’s Distillery (Lynchburg, TN)
The oldest registered distillery in the United States, the making of Jack Daniel's whiskey was set down by its founder, Jack Daniel, and has been maintained and preserved for over 140 years.
www.jackdaniels.com
Jim Beam Distillery (Clermont, KY)
Seven generations and more than two centuries later, Jim Beam bourbon is still made the same way, by the same family, following the same recipe perfected in 1795. The distillery campus is made up of the T. Jeremiah Beam home where one can savor the world renowned bourbons in the tasting parlor; the American Outpost where visitors can shop for one-of-a-kind merchandise; and The Hartmann Cooperage Museum, a recreation of an 1800’s barrel-making shop.
www.jimbeam.com
Maker’s Mark Distillery (Loretto, KY)
Established in 1805 as a gristmill distillery, Maker’s Mark is the oldest working distillery on its original site – and a National Historic Landmark. The historic charm is not the only reason to visit the Maker’s Mark distillery; the beautifully manicured grounds are a functioning arboretum; hosting more than 275 species of trees and shrubs, and makes for an ideal picnic spot.
www.makersmark.com
Wild Turkey Distillery (Lawrenceburg, KY)
Once inside this real working distillery, watch as new Bourbon is poured into handcrafted barrels then tour the timbered warehouses, where thousands of barrels sit and age.
www.wildturkey.com
Woodford Reserve Distillery (Versailles, KY)
The historic distillery has been fully restored to its former 1800’s splendor and is a designated National Historic Landmark. A distillery highlight is Woodford Reserve’s old-fashioned pot stills, which are used in the time-honored production of Woodford Reserve.
www.woodfordreserve.com
Rum Distilleries
Bacardi Visitor Center (Catano, Puerto Rico)
On the sparkling San Juan Bay…across from the historic El Morro Castle…Casa BACARDI…located at the world’s largest premium rum distillery. The tour is free to all guests, transporting visitors back to 1862 for a journey to the present.
www.casabacardi.org
Cruzan Rum Distillery (St. Croix, US Virgin Islands)
Founded in 1760, the Cruzan Rum distillery is recognized as much for its hand-crafted, ultra-premium rums as for its critically acclaimed, natural tasting flavorful rums.
www.cruzanrum.com
Historic Sites
Fraunces Tavern Museum (New York, NY), best known as the site where George Washington gave his farewell address to the officers of the Continental Army in 1783, is now a restored complex made up of four 19th century buildings as well as the 18th century Fraunces Tavern Building. It was built in 1719 as an elegant residence for merchant Stephan Delancey and later purchased in 1762 by tavern-keeper Samuel Fraunces.
www.frauncestavern.org
Gadsby’s Tavern (Alexandria, VA) was a center for political, business and social life in 18th century Alexandria, Virginia where prominent individuals such as George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were entertained. Today Gadsby's Tavern Museum is open to the public, offering tours and public programs showcasing the historic two buildings, the circa 1785 tavern and the 1792 City Tavern and Hotel.
www.gadsbystavern.org
Woodville Plantation, the John and Presley Neville House (Bridgeville, PA), a National Historic Landmark, was deemed "a temple of hospitality" -- the home of a general, a former commandant of Fort Pitt, a man of wealth and education. As collector of the new and hated federal excise tax on whiskey, John Neville was a major target in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.
www.woodvilleplantation.org
The Oliver Miller Homestead (Allegheny County’s South Park, PA) is a pioneer landmark and Whiskey Rebellion Site in Allegheny County’s South Park Pennsylvania. This old stone farmhouse nestled among the trees, is a sturdy remnant of frontier days.
www.whiskeyrebellion.org/miller
The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History (Bardstown, KY) houses a 50-year collection of rare whiskey artifacts dating from pre-colonial days to post-Prohibition days. Among them are rare antique bottles, a moonshine still, advertising art, novelty whiskey containers, and Abraham Lincoln's liquor license.
West Overton Museum (Scottdale, PA) is the only pre-Civil War village still intact today in Pennsylvania. It was named to the National Register of Historic Districts in 1985 as an outstanding example of a 19th century rural industrial village complete with farm, two floors of the Overholt Mill/Distillery, industrial tools, Blacksmith Shop, a wash house and a smokehouse.
www.westovertonmuseum.org
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WINE TYPES: DISCOVER YOUR INNER GRAPE
Wine Types is a light-hearted, interactive look at personalities. What makes you tick? What can you learn from others in ‘your bunch’?
You might be...
A Cabernet... (Do you have to straighten a picture if it's crooked?)
A Pinot Noir... (Do you push a button just to see what it will do?)
A Champagne... (Are you easily bored with the status quo?)
A Merlot... (Do you have a hard time saying 'no'?)
Fill out the assessment and find out more. Great for parties, wine tastings or just for the two of you over a glass of your favorite vino. |
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Wine brings people together... Wine Types helps them stay that way.
AVAILABLE AT ALL SOUTH CAROLINA GREEN'S LOCATIONS!
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Adding to the ever-growing list of good news about red wine, it looks like the tasty red stuff is also a pancreatic cancer fighter.
Researchers believe the powerful antioxidant resveratrol is the secret behind red wine’s myriad health benefits.
And in a recent study, not only did resveratrol increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy on pancreatic cancer cells, it helped protect healthy cells as well.
In case you hadn’t heard the other news, studies have not only deemed resveratrol a potent antioxidant, but it also has anti-inflammatory properties and appears to help offset the effects of a high-calorie diet as well! |
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GEORGE WASHINGTON... WHISKEY ENTREPRENEUR
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New Whiskey: Founding Father Of American Distilling Is Back!
Source: Forbes
Published: April 4, 2012
I just tasted the most unusual whiskey made in this country - George Washington's personal recipe, made in his distillery - and you can too. But you need to hurry.
When it comes to the near mythical "Father of Our Country," fact and fiction are often blurred. It is almost certain that George Washington never cut down the legendary cherry tree. He probably did pioneer espionage as an important part of military strategy. But one thing we know for sure is that he liked his booze, he liked making money, and in selling more than 10,000 gallons of rye whiskey annually, Washington was a savvy entrepreneur who owned one of the largest distilleries in 18th century America.
It's a side of Washington few people know about, and much to my surprise, the folks bent on spreading the word are none other than the administrators of George Washington's Mount Vernon, his longtime Virginia estate and now a non-profit living museum and historical landmark. Archaeologist Dennis Pogue, VP of Preservation at Mt. Vernon, is the author of Founding Spirits, a book about the first President's love affair with strong drink and his role in launching the American whiskey industry.
But Pogue did not stop at this academic exercise. Instead, he excavated Washington's once prolific distillery and oversaw an elaborate effort to rebuild it as it was. Just outside the nation's capital but far from the eye of the mainstream media, the folks at Mount Vernon, still dressed in period garb, have been quietly churning out Washington's signature rye whiskey since 2006 - and it is one of the most coveted bottles on earth.
The distillery was rebuilt on its original footprint from old records and the work was done using 18th century tools, materials and construction.
First, a little history. When Pogue and his compatriots decided to re-launch whiskey production at Mount Vernon, they found a strong ally in DISCUS, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the national trade association representing more than 70% of all spirits sold in this country. DISCUS had little trouble convincing its biggest members, global giants like Diageo, Brown Forman, Beam Global Wines & Spirits, Pernod Ricard, Moet Hennessy, and others to donate enough to rebuild and reactivate Washington's distillery. After all, this was an immense PR opportunity for the spirits industry, a chance to set the historical record straight about the father of our country and his love affair with making and drinking booze. Or as Pogue points out - and as a historian is deeply offended by - "the temperance movement hijacked his persona, in a flagrant attempt to rewrite history, by portraying him as a non-drinker."
The truth is quite the opposite, at least according to signage at a Mount Vernon museum. "George Washington seems to have held an enlightened, modern attitude toward the consumption of alcohol. He himself imbibed a variety of alcoholic beverages: .Port and Madeira and rum made into punch, along with beer and whiskey." According to the woman who gave me a culinary tour of the estate, Washington often enjoyed all of these drinks in the same evening session.
Washington's distillery opened in 1797 and produced as many as 11,000 gallons of rye in a single year.
The distillery project began about 13 years ago, and Mount Vernon hired former Maker's Mark head distiller Dave Pickerell, now the leading consultant in the American whiskey industry, to spearhead the effort (coincidentally, I recently wrote about Pickerell's involvement with Whistling Pig, the highest rated Rye whiskey ever produced). It took a few years for the distillery to be planned and built, especially since it was done entirely in period fashion, using authentic tools, materials and construction techniques of the late 18th century - there's not a screw or piece of sheetrock to be found (with the exception of mandated fire alarms and lighting). As result, the distillery is wonderfully primitive, and lacks even running water. For every batch, the stills are filled (and emptied) bucket by bucket, everything is done by hand, and the stills themselves (there are five) are all basically brick fire chambers with copper vessels on top. Even the wood burnt in for distillation is chopped by hand with an ax. That's it, not a single gauge, dial, valve or even copper coil in the entire place. It is distilling at its most basic, and more importantly, it is the way Washington, with instructions from his ex-pat Scottish partner James Anderson, made his whiskey, in the very same spot. The Scottish connection is so strong that when the distillery reopened in 2006, it was dedicated by Prince Andrew.
Today, the distillery, a small museum devoted to it, and grist mill next door, where a water-powered wheel ground the rye for the operation, are open to the public, like the rest of Mt. Vernon. Because of both temperature concerns (too hot in summer, too cold in winter) and safety, given the open fires and cramp space, the distillery is open but not operated during peak tourist season, April-October. Pickerell comes twice each year and produces two whiskey batches, in early spring and late fall. In normal years, this is the sole commercial production of what is labeled "George Washington Whiskey," and made in two styles. A "white whiskey," the kind Washington typically sold, is a Rye (law requires at least 51% rye grain to be labeled rye, but Washington's recipe calls for a more generous 60%) bottled straight from the stills and un-aged. While clear whiskey looks unusual, almost all distilled spirits are clear when finished, it is the aging and storage in wood that gives them color. The remainder is aged in charred, new American oak barrels, as is typically the case for bourbon and other domestic whiskies, for two years. This is referred to as the aged version, and is more typically brown. For authenticity, the distillery uses local rye and other grains grown on a nearby Virginia farm and ground onsite, and all the proceeds go to Mount Vernon's operational overhead.
Both whiskies are sold only through the Mount Vernon gift shops, and go on sale about a month or two after the production runs. When they do, fans and collectors line up outside starting at 6AM (or earlier) and the entire batch sells out immediately. Last time it took 3 hours, but that was exaggerated by a failure of the credit card reader - it should have sold faster. The stuff is not cheap: 375ml bottles, half the normal size, of the un-aged fetch $95 and the aged is $180. You can buy it no place else (except maybe on Craig's List or at auction) and you only in person, twice a year. The next batch, just 600 bottles, goes on sale soon: Saturday April 14, 2012 at 10AM.
I say the distillery runs only twice in a "normal year" because this is not a normal year. When I visited Mount Vernon last week, I had the rare pleasure of being part of history. Since Washington's start as a distiller was directly the result of Scottish influence, and this is the 100th birthday of the Scotch Whisky Association, DISCUS planned a joint international effort of brotherhood. The head distillers of three renowned Scottish distilleries, Glenmorangie, Laphroaig, and Cardhu (most of the single malt that goes into Johnnie Walker blended Scotch) visited and brought with them pure Scottish peated malt, the only grain allowed to be used under Scottish law. Together with Pickerell, they created the first ever single malt whiskey at George Washington's distillery, done in the traditional legal manner of Scotland. Because the distillery is not in Scotland, it can't be called Scotch, but it is a Scotch-style single malt and a unique one-time effort. The visiting distillers were both mystified by and impressed with the facility, unlike any that remains in existence on the other side of the pond. They even brought barrels with them, since unlike bourbon, Scotch is aged in repurposed barrels form other wines or spirits. The entire results of the several day distillation run, about 100 bottles worth, was put into barrels to age for the Scottish legal minimum of three years - I helped fill one. In 2015, the bottles will be distributed to 100 charities around the globe and each will be auctioned for fundraising.
I tasted the new malt spirit straight from the still at about 165 proof, and despite being much stronger than anything you would ever normally drink - or be able to buy - and having no age or wood, the underlying Scotch-like flavor came through clearly, and the distillers themselves were surprised how well it came out. With about as small a production run as any whiskey will ever see, in three years these 100 bottles are sure to become instant and coveted collectibles. Until then, you can line up to buy Washington's whiskey in Virginia, or simply visit the distillery to see what it is all about, while drinking more Scotch, Rye or Bourbon at home, any of which would make old George proud.
Or you could travel the American Whiskey Trail, which includes the Mount Vernon facility and a mix of cultural and historic sites associated with whiskies as well as working distilleries, from New York City to the Caribbean.
As I have mentioned in recent stories, spirits are all the rage in the US right now. Maybe it's a "Mad Men effect," but spirit consumption in this nation is approaching its peak in the 1960s for the first time in half a century (mainly at the expense of beer). There is a craft distilling revolution afoot, and it was not that long ago when the high-end bourbons we now take for granted like Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve did not exist. I remember when Jack Daniels made just two labels, before the relatively recent introduction of JD Single Barrel and Gentleman Jack. I have visited distilleries in Breckenridge, Colorado and Park City, Utah of all places, and recently sampled exceptional new Ryes, a red hot category, bottled in Kentucky and Vermont. George Washington's tiny distillery fits this theme perfectly and should, since he started the whole thing.
Plus, there was that whole thing about him winning the Revolutionary War. So cheers to our First President.
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