‘George Washington whiskey tastings’

    

Mount Vernon

Today and every Saturday afternoon in June and again in September, George Washington’s Mount Vernon is hosting tastings of whiskeys distilled on the site employing eighteenth century methods. Rally the lodge, charter a bus, and go! From the publicity:

Experience A Unique

Tasting Opportunity

In 1799, George Washington’s distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons, making it one of the largest whiskey distilleries in America. Today, a faithfully reconstructed working distillery produces small batch spirits on-site. Enjoy a rare opportunity to taste Mount Vernon’s one-of-a-kind distilled spirits.

Tickets are available here.

What’s Included in Your Visit

Distillery & Gristmill Tour

Discover the history of George Washington’s whiskey from Mount Vernon’s Historic Trades team, and find out how they distill spirits today.

Your tour begins one hour before your tasting. For instance, if your tasting is for 2 p.m., your distillery tour will begin at 1 p.m. Please allow a few minutes for check-in.

Mount Vernon

Tastings of Three Distilled Spirits

Sample three distilled spirits, made using 18th-century distilling methods and techniques.

🥃 George Washington’s Rye Whiskey (unaged)

🥃 George Washington’s Straight Rye Whiskey® (aged 2-4 years)

🥃 George Washington Straight Rye Premium Whiskey® (aged a minimum of four years, currently up to eight years)

🥃 Bottled older ryes, aged 6-7 years, also will be available.

Virginia ABC Law dictates that tasting pours cannot exceed a total of 3 oz. in a 24-hour period.

The tasting takes place outdoors, as Virginia Law prevents us from holding tasting events in the same building where our whiskey is stored.

Commemorative Glencairn Glass

You will take home a commemorative shot glass to remember your experience.

Admission to Mount Vernon

Ticket holders also receive general admission to Mount Vernon on the day of their tasting (a $30 value), which is located 2.7 miles from the Distillery & Gristmill. Please allow adequate time for travel. Show your tasting ticket at the Mount Vernon ticket window for admittance.

     

‘New whisky from the Grand Lodge of Scotland’

    

Grand Lodge of Scotland

You’ll have to be in the United Kingdom to taste it, but the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland offers a new expression of its Grand Master Mason’s Choice Whisky.

A single malt, like the 2015 release, this one is aged ten years, whereas that previous offering had no age statement. Like the 2015, however, the packaging seems to misstate the strength; this one says 40 percent proof, but surely they mean 80 proof (i.e., 40 percent alcohol by volume). Maybe I’m mistaken and I do not understand their jargon because I can’t see how the same error could reoccur. (Some baffling government regulation?) Anyway, from the scant publicity:

Grand Master Mason’s

Choice Whisky

£50 (inc. VAT)

Speyburn is the only distillery to draw its water from the Granty Burn, a major tributary of the River Spey. Matured in American oak ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, the resulting whisky is mellow and well balanced with hints of fresh fruit, toffee and butterscotch, and a long smooth, sweet finish.

A 10 year old single malt

70cl

40 percent proof

Important Information: This whisky is available from the Grand Lodge shop within Freemasons’ Hall (after 10 a.m. due to Scottish licensing laws). The whisky also is available for sale from our online shop within the UK only. In Scotland it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 years, per Section 110 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

That 70 centiliters is two ounces short of the 750ml packaging we Americans see on the shelves. (And that’s a taste short of what we used to call “a fifth,” but that’s a whole other story.) Also available is a 5cl bottle, packaged in a box, at £8.50.

The Grand Lodge also would like it to be known that this product will not be for sale at this month’s Festival of St. Andrew.

     

‘Right Worshipful bourbon’

    

Not to be outpaced by the scotches, gins, beers, and other potable products sponsored by various grand lodges and brethren here and there, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania now has a locally distilled bourbon for sale under its name. Pennsylvania Grand Master’s Blend, a “Pennsylvania Craft Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” is produced by Hidden Still Spirits in Hershey.

Yes, it is possible to purchase online ($42/bottle) and have it shipped to you. I don’t know the volume (750ml?) of the package. Hidden Still also serves as a restaurant, and its spirits can be found in stores in the state.

A poke around the web shows this idea has been in development at Hidden Still for several years. And, yes, there are Pennsylvania brethren in Hidden Still Spirits.

Is it any good? I’ll have to get back to you on that. I don’t doubt this will be found in the mix in the hospitality suites of various Masonic hotel stays.

     

‘Grand Master Mason’s Choice single malt’

     
The fun side of Freemasonry offers a variety of activities and goods that complement the serious aspects of practicing the Craft—sometimes these things mix—and now I see how the Grand Lodge of Scotland has announced the release of a Scotch whisky under its own name for us to enjoy at Festive Board or in the home. The press release is a bit confusing (70 cl is about 2 ounces shy of the 750 ml bottles to which we Americans have grown accustomed, and the claim of 46 proof is, thankfully, an error—the spirit is 92 proof; they mean 46 percent alcohol by volume), but here it is:

Grand Lodge of Scotland Whisky

The Grand Lodge of Scotland has launched its own Single Scotch Malt Whisky named: The Grand Master Mason’s Choice.

Specially selected and produced by the Isle of Arran Distilleries for the Grand Lodge of Scotland, this is robust 46% proof (sic) single malt of character.

The 70cl bottle comes boxed and uses the Grand Lodge tartan as its main design theme. The label on the reverse of the bottle bears the following message:

The Grand Master Mason’s Choice

The Grand Lodge of Scotland has had the pleasure of representing Freemasons working under the Scottish Constitution since 1736.

Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest secular fraternal societies and originated in Scotland. Below we explain Freemasonry as it exists under the Grand Lodge of Scotland which is the corporate body governing Freemasonry in Scotland and Scottish Masonic Lodges in many other parts of the world.

Freemasonry is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values. Its members are taught its precepts by a series of ritual dramas. These remain substantially the same form used in Scottish Stonemasons’ Lodges and use Scottish Stonemasons’ customs and tools as allegorical guides.

The essential qualification for admission into and continued membership is a belief in a Supreme Being. Membership is open to men of any race, color, or religion who can fulfill this essential qualification, and who are of good repute.

For many years Freemasons have followed three great principles:

Brotherly Love

Every true Freemason will show tolerance and respect for the opinions of others and behave with kindness and understanding to his fellow creatures.
Relief

Relief

Freemasons are taught to practice charity and to care, not only for their own, but also for the community as a whole, both by charitable giving, voluntary efforts, and works as individuals.

Truth

Freemasons strive for truth, requiring high moral standards, and aiming to achieve them in their own lives.

The cost for a bottle of Grand Master Mason’s Choice is £40 [about US$61 as I type this]. We will ascertain the age and post the details. Apologies for the omission.

At this time this whisky is only available from the Grand Lodge shop within Freemasons’ Hall (after 10 a.m. due to Scottish licensing laws), but arrangements are in hand to allow for it to be shipped worldwide. Details will be posted on this page as soon as they are available.

In Scotland in is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 years - Section 110 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.


So there it is. If you had trouble locating Old Masters, an 80 proof blended whisky with the Square and Compasses on its label, take heart because it wasn’t that great anyway. It was okay, no better or worse than Johnnie Red or Dewar’s, and it cost around fifty bucks per bottle. I’m hoping someone at Masonic Week will have a dram of this to share.
     

‘Washington whiskey’

     

On this day in 1799, Bro. George Washington died at his home at Mount Vernon in Virginia. Victorious general, signer of the Constitution, and first president, Washington undoubtedly is best remembered as the only Founding Father who commercially operated a distillery.

At peak production, Washington’s Distillery employed five stills and a boiler and produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey, yielding $7,500 in 1799, one of the most financially successful operations at Mount Vernon.

Washington lives on today, as Mount Vernon’s Distillery is the only site which still demonstrates the 18th-century distillation process.

Alas, my Brother.